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My second Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) decipiens is going to flower. This one has the crownshaft and inflorescence more colorful than the others that are more greenish.

Chrysalidocarpus Prestonianus dropped a leaf to reveal some color

There will be more “palm portraits” with Latin names, but too busy today. Many head home this morning but I am lucky enough to head to Cajamarca with a small group. Yesterday orchids in bloom and dormant were numerous along the road so we happily took a break from the long bus rides. There were many plants which we were happy to even get to the family level of identification. I was told this strikingly yellow plant was some form of mistlestoe. And all ages of Dictyocaryum surrounded us. This baby was low enough that I could reverse the leaf to show off the silver underside. Look at that crownshaft color. Note stilt roots on the left. So many Dictyocaryum palms!!

Excited to finally see a flower on one of my P. torallyi. This one is 18 years old from germination.

Been awhile since a thread for this genus of rather elegant palms from western Pacific islands. Feel free to post any images and observations you’ve experienced. I’ve got three species and five individuals growing in the garden. C. samoense is by far the more robust and for this reason, planted in the open space behind the property. Digging a hole wasn’t possible because of the shallow soil over almost solid rock, so the potted specimens were just placed on the on the surface after removing the bottom of the plastic pot. Super aggressive roots enabled them to anchor and penetrate fractures in the rock. Here are a few C. samoense photos. Tim

D. Decipiens 20 years old H. Indica - New planting this year. Purchased from Stacey Wright. C. Nucele - Floribunda Palm. Probably 10 years old now Bizmarkia always growing.

This one has been in the ground for ten years out of a one gallon container. Neither Wodyetia nor Veitchia will grow well at all here but their hybrid does shockingly well. I wish a had a few more of them. Anyone growing one or more in a cooler climate?

Another flower spathe on one of my Areca Vestiarias. 😍

And last, but not least is the C. savoryanum, just a spectacular smaller Clino. Lots of photos on PT of this palm. Tim

Here’s another C. samoense with a shovel at the base to give an idea of the size. Tim

Bill Baker (Kew) descending the Bosque de palmeras Ocol. This is where we saw hundreds of ceroxylons. Norm from Hawaii having a grand time hiking in the forest. Notice the boots on each of them. It was muddy and slippery. I learned the value of using a walking stick.

the transitional leaf stage of this Loxococcus rupicola

Coccothrinax Clinostigma gronophyllum

Now that it's autumn, watch for falling leaves! 🍂🍁🌴 Extremely robust crownshaft of Chrysalidocarpus canaliculata flattened an old ti plant. (Purchased as C. canaliculatus so that's what I call it.)

@Hilo Jason and i have had an annual tradition three years running to visit a palm that makes my eyes water, a specimen of Tahina spectabilis in Hawaii that has thrived in its planted location 2023: 2024: 2025: seems to have fully grown out of those rough leaf pushes Jason has some great photos of years prior to this that they might post, thankful for the opportunity, the owner for letting us nerd out in their yard, and @bgl for the plant origin

Three spears on this Rhopalysyis caught me eye.

had the opportunity to visit @Hilo Jason and their garden of wonders today, no surprise they synchronized with a slice of heaven on earth

Here’s one that goes by the name, ‘Hawaiian Hybrid.’ Can only speculate what the cross is, but it seems a bit smaller in stature than C. samoense, but almost as tall. You can see differences in the crown as well. Tim

Caught this Chrysalidocarpus hovomantsina in the process of dropping a leaf sheath. Beefy palm, nice color too. Tim

Here is an updated pic of the Clinostigma savoryanum at the San Diego Zoo. This pic was taken on September 2, 2025. I believe this palm is more than 25 ft, maybe closer to 30 ft tall.

Yesterday, the members of the Hawaii Island Palm Society not presently in Peru traveled to Captain Cook, south of Kailua-Kona, to see the palm collection of George Peavy, proprietor of Kahili Kona farms, which grows quantities of citrus fruits and dragon fruits. But this topic is not about the club activity, but about many of the spectacular palms that we saw. The pics are in alphabetical order by genus for no better reason than that the order in which File Explorer stores them. First up is a spectacular pair of Bismarckia nobilis: Borassodendron machadonis Burretiokentia grandiflora Calyptrocalyx hollrungii A Chrysalidocarpus baronii with two heads. George Peavy says that the pair emerged when an old frond dropped. A trio of Coccothrinax crinita Cryosophila warscewiczii (upper center) A pair of Dypsis rosea (yes, still Dypsis) Elaeis oleifera Johannesteijsmannia (Joey) magnifica Joey perakensis (Joey-on-a-stick) Pelagodoxa henryana Sclerosperma mannii (center) and Pinanga javana (upper right) A trio of Vonitra utilis (George Peavy underneath) Finally, a landscape view from the farm with the ocean in the distance. End of story.

double b, Bentinckia and Balaka

A couple palm friends in the PSSC went to Tahiti and took some awesome pictures. Including these! I’m hoarse from yelling obscenities.

The trunk....

Borassodendron machadonis

I was out back looking at frogs with my daughter and I turned around and super silver flashed me. The flashlight really shows off why it’s called super silver.

After 22 years, or so, of spectacular leaf spreads I had to say goodbye to my beloved Gigas. Two seed spathes dropped and no growth in over a year. It was time. I used a company called Arkadia ( https://yourarkadia.com/) . They did a great job! Very proffessional, on time, clean and left without a trace.

A couple of juvenile Iguanura wallichiana var. wallichiana were looking quite happy in a shady spot. Tim

We’re staying very busy and only intermittent internet. Here’s a teaser of the Ceroxylon forest we loved yesterday. Lots of seedlings once we entered areas cattle can’t reach.

Dictyocaryum lamarckianum Prestoea acuminata v. acuminata

This sixteen year old C. urens has been flowering and fruiting for six years. The latest infructescence is reachable from the ground. The weird thing is that its crown is still pushing new leaves. They are somewhat distorted. A new spear is evident but very difficult to photograph as the palm is about thirty feet tall. Has this occurred with anyone else’s Caryota of any species? I was otherwise expecting the palm to die in just a few more years.

made from seed collected at the Naples Botanical Garden in 1999

First flowering of my Prestoea acuminata came as a welcome surprise.

Lanonia magaloni and a dypsis lantzeana caught my eye.

more Chrysalidocarpus notovobontsira, featuring a moth model that is thankfully not an Opogona tokoravina

A few more from the Amazon.., Iriartea as seen from the canopy: Canopy view… Forest floor stuffed with Geonoma A bifold-leaved Bactris - identity yet to be confirmed

A few shots from the last couple of days Euterpe Geonoma Lepidocaryum tenue Attalea Iriartea Iriartea deltoidea Oenocarpus bataua

Nice little dypsis lantzeana got my attention this morning.

Updadate of 2022 post on growth of Jubaea Chilensis in Oregon. Current pictures of Jubaea 3 years later are show classic bulge in trunk with additionnal 3 to 5 foot verticle growth. Large Jubaea began producing fruit and nuts in late 2024 at about same time the trunk began to slowly taper out of the bulge.

I have many Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) hybrids in my garden and this is probably my least favorite. But it did catch my eye today. This is a Leptocheillos hybrid. Started as a single then split into two, before trunking. Now after trunking both sides have split again. Strange plant! Still not sure it’s worth a spot in the garden but I’ll give it some more time.

im always a sucker for a H beguinii Obi Island silhouette

Lovely! I happened to pass this six-in-a-row sidewalk planting in SF's Mission District last night.

I had one in a 15 gallon container pretty exposed and it did fine last winter in Santa Barbara. Winter was mild; temps hit the high 30's a couple times. Planted it out at the end of June.

Areca vestria orange form

Areca tunku

Pinanga densiflora

Dr. Baker’s word of the day is: hippuriform (!) as in: Oenocarpus inflorescences are typically hippuriform (horse-tail shaped)

W. Filiferas and S. Mexicanas seeding. It was 12F in February of this year. Winter low temp.