D. lastelliana 'highland redneck'

[Dypsisdean]

About six months ago, I was really pleased to find several 8 ft/20 gal. specimens of this palm. It has intrigued me since they first came around. They were initially thought to be the infamous "Mealy Bug." But when it became obvious it was not, and began to look very similar to D. lastelliana, it started being called the Highland Redneck. And for obvious reasons. Except for the "mealy bug" markings it has an identical look in form and crown color. However, most reports I have heard indicate this palm grows dramatically slower. So I began to wonder if this palm is really a D. lastelliana. I found the following quote on the PACSOA site, "Although referred to as the "Highland Lastelliana", there isn't any actual link between the two palms"

What do you experts know about this palm?

BTW--- While some things cost more in Hawaii, palms do not. These 8 footers set me back $65/each.

Here they are. Still a bit battered from the 2 hour drive home.

[Dypsisdean]

A close up of the base. Identical to true D. lastelliana.

[Dypsisdean]

The "mealy bug" markings.

[Dypsisdean]

And the markings persist on the older petioles.

[JD in the OC]

That palm's got my vote.

[Dypsisdean]

Well, nobody seems to want to offer an opinion on this palm. However, I did have one knowledgable lurker call me. He told me the real "Highland Redneck" has a petiole, whereas this palm, as can be seen, has the leaflets beginning right at the crown. In addition, he said, there are more white markings on the real "HR" and the crown is a much darker color, almost black. I checked some smaller plants I have that were labeled as D. lastelliana 'mealy bug' (which supposedly is what the true HR was labeled as) but they have no petiole either. So I'm confused.

The pic on the PACSOA site of the "HR" doesn't show much, but it does show a petiole.  So apparently there are two different palms with these markings and fuzzy crownshafts with D. lastelliana looking fronds. The lurker thinks the palm I posted is just another form of D. lastelliana. And to confuse things further, there is another palm that was called "Big Red" that is also very similar, but with no markings and a purplish spear.

Bo, where are you? Do your "lastellianas" with markings have a petiole. I'm guessing you probably have both (petiole and no petiole). If so, are both slow growing?

Others of you must have these palms? What's your take?

[sebastian]

Im no expert but these I beleive these to be a form of D. lastelliana "big red" the superior form of D. lastelliana.

D.lastelliana "mealy bug" is very diffrent,the markings are more like the real mealy bugs, spots rather than stripes.

I am growing both although both are smaller than your's.

I remember Bo posting a pic of the mealy bug form, one of the bigger one's I have seen, im sure we will see a pic soon

[bgl]

Shucks, had a somewhat busy day, so I'm afraid I neglected the forum for most of the day! Won't happen again....

Anyway, Dean, other than those interesting stripes, your palm looks like the standard D. lastelliana to me. But what do I know....! I do have a few of the so called Highland Red Neck. I posted a photo of one of them in the 'Palms planted in Unusual places' thread (I think that's what I called it).

Here's another one. I planted this one in July 1997 from a 4 inch container (Floribunda), so it was pretty tiny at the time. Now, 9 years later it's about 12 ft tall, overall height. Yes, I'd call these palms fairly slow, but certainly not extremely slow!! I have never grown the regular D. lastelliana from a small size, so can't compare.  I'm just germinating some right now, so I'll know in a few more years! As can be seen, this one definitely has good sized petioles.

[Daryl]

Looks like a regular lastelliana to me too. As mentioned the 'highlander' has longer petioles and blotchy petiole markings. I have a couple here and they are pretty slow...also they burn very easily in the sun. The leaflets are very reminiscent of lastelliana leaflets, so I guess that's how they get their common name. Here's a photo of the petiole markings of a young plant...once they form a crownshaft, the petioles are a more even 'fawn' colour.

Daryl.

[neoflora]

Dean, I got a few myself. They are in 15gal pots. I am growing them in part sun. I do believe they are different from the ones in the photo. Very slow growing. On the other hand I also have a few D.Big Red. I have one planted in my yard. This palm looks very similar to D. last. It does have a purple emerging spear and grows like a rocketship. The leaflets seem to have a bluish tinge. I was told the seeds came from a different locality in Madgascar.  I have a D.last. planted in my yard and it is very slow. It is growing at a rate of two leaves a year. Big Red probadly comes from a cooler area. Ron

[Dypsisdean]

Ron,

Thanks for chipping in. Surf must be flat today.

I have seen your 'Big Red' many years ago. I agree besides the purple spear the leaflets do have a blue tinge on the plants I have seen.

So at this point, I am going to assume 'Big Red,' 'Highland Redneck,' and D. lastelliana are all different species. I am still unsure as to whether the white streaked "lastelliana" I pictured should be considered different, or just a var. of D. lastelliana.

[neoflora]

Dean, The variety Cape Masoala looks different than D. last. Maybe even a bit more tropical. I have some of these in Costa Rica. They are beautiful. Surf is flat. I am potting meally bugs up today. Some have incrediable color as small plants. Ron

[bgl]

Dean,

A quick update. As far as I know, I have three of the palm that's referred to as the Highland Redneck. I just took close-ups of all three, and there's definitely some variability. Here's the one that I posted a photo of above.

Bo

[bgl]

Here's the second one. I have never posted a photo of this one before.

[bgl]

And here's the third one. This is the one that's planted next to our 20 ft deep cavern, and I apologize for the quality of the photo. In order to be able to take this photo I had to hang on to the palm, hold the camera out over the abyss and aim it towards the palm. My feet are only about a foot away from the 20 ft vertical drop-off, and it's VERY slippery because we've had rain off and on all day, and of course the ground is sloping downhill anyway. In retrospect, I guess I should have waited for a dry day to take this one...

[bgl]

Almost forgot in all the excitement... This is the base of the first one.

[JD in the OC]

Definitely different from the true lastelliana.  Do D. lastelliana and D. manajarensis mealy bug grow close together?

Is this supposedly cold-hardy because it grows in the highland?  D. lastelliana doesn't do well here in Socal.

Thanks for the input, and as always, the pics Bo!

JD

[cfkingfish]

Dean-

I am friends with the same knowledgeable lurker you mention, and I have seen his Dypsis HRs in person. The ones he has have tons of black fuzz on the top of the crownshaft like a Veitchia or Foxtail, but even thicker. I don't believe I have seen a picture of that variety posted yet - it is quite the looker as well.

[Dan OKeeffe]

Does anyone know what Highland means in regards to its natural environmental altitude? Is anyone growing these in California?

Thanks

[BS Man about Palms]

(dokeeffe @ Apr. 09 2008,22:55)

QUOTE

Does anyone know what Highland means in regards to its natural environmental altitude? Is anyone growing these in California?

Thanks

Trying to.

[bgl]

Just received an e-mail from Clayton, with a photo attachment. Here it is. And I increased the size of the photo from 42KB to about 200KB so quality is not the best.

Hi Bo

I could not find Deans e-mail i probably could have listed this photo myself as with it being so small,(I still have a problems with my computer program redusing the photo sizes) this photo was taken at Bill beattie place of the

high land red neck once it forms a trunk, as you can see it no longer looks like a D lastelliana any longer!! it's only as a juvenile that it holds a resembelance to a red neck, in this case D.lastelliana seedling and that's only with it's leaves when it's small.

According to Bill beattie he has seen quite a fewdifferent forms of D.lastelliana in habitat.

Jeff.Marcus has that one with a very the small crown shaft growing at his place which i think is the one which makes the purplish spear it has a bit of red to it as well, Mike has listed photos of this form as well.

All the best,

Clayton

[madagascarbob]

Big Red ? these were taken at head level . To many plants around it to get a a shot of the whole thing . It has trunk .

 

Oily bluish leaf .