Dypsis decaryi

[Walter John]

Late extra on my triangle is the upcoming inflorescence. Thought some might like a look see.

[SubTropicRay]

Wal,

Congrats. I'm waiting for mine to do the same thing. How much trunk does your specimen have?

Ray

[Walter John]

Wal,

Congrats. I'm waiting for mine to do the same thing. How much trunk does your specimen have?

Ray

Not much at all Ray, maybe a few feet.

[The Germinator]

Mine is a tad shorter than yours Wal. I now looking forward to seeing an inflo soon. Thanks for the pic.

[Dave-Vero]

The grower who I got mine from pointed out that the seeds almost all germinate, the seedlings are vigorous, the plants don't slow their growth after being moved from container to ground, and overall, the species is very easy to grow in Florida. Looks like it's the same in Queensland.

[quaman58]

Wal,

Just curious, how long has yours been in the ground?

[quaman58]

Is that a Sabal in the foreground in pic # 4?

[gsn]

Bret,

Looks like a Bismarkia to me,but I will let Wal confirm!

[Big Tex]

Late extra on my triangle is the upcoming inflorescence. Thought some might like a look see.

About how old is your palm? I can't wait to see mine flower!

Bret,

Looks like a Bismarkia to me,but I will let Wal confirm!

I agree, looks like a Bismarkia.

Edited January 8, 2009 by Big Tex

[Don Little]

Congrats proud Papa Wal. Mine is close to the same size as yours so I hope mine might possibly start to flower this upcoming summer. Do triangles usually set viable seed their first time flowering?

Don

[LJG]

Congrats Wal!

I now cut my flowers off. The first year or two I was stoked to have my Decaryi flower. But I got tired of having like 4 - 5 inflorescence/infructescence on the tree. Plus they were dropping tons of seed onto my cycads below and rotting in there. Got any spiny cycads below that it will be hard to dig out seed?

[MattyB]

Cool Wal! How much water do you give this guy Wal? It looks great, no brown tipping at all.

[Dave-Vero]

This afternoon, I noticed brown tipping on a pair growing under a power line. The affected leaves were near the line. The famous palms-don't-like-electrical fields thing?

[Joe palma]

Yahoo! That's great Wal. Nice looking triangle!

Do you think that Bizmarkia is to close to the triangle?

Joe

[Walter John]

Lots of questions here, I'll try and answer them now.

Firstly it's age. I was given this guy about 7 or 8 years ago in a 140 ml pot, so at that point it might have been 3 years old, just a guess. So that makes it approx 10 years old. This is one tough plant by the way, it was almost flattened by a major storm about 4 years ago and I staked it back up for 12 months.

How much water ? well I haven't watered it for a few years now, not since it had it's stake removed. Pure nature looks after her.

That is a bizmarkia yes indeed and yes it's too close, for the ordinary gardener that is, which I am not.

No spiny cyads below her. Do triangles usually set viable seed their first time flowering? I don't know, this is my first time, perhaps someone else could please chime in here.

Matty, this guy did have brown tipping on the lower leaves about a year or two ago, it's looking terrific at the moment, like all my plants due to this amazing season we are having, by far the best since I've been palming (about 8 years) .

[MattyB]

Your lack of water confirms my observations that triangle palms look better with less water. The best ones I've seen are growing on rain alone here in SD, which is about 9" annualy. The soil was clay. I suppose they could look just as good with a bit more water if drainage was better.

[gsn]

That is a bizmarkia yes indeed and yes it's too close, for the ordinary gardener that is, which I am not.

Good one Wal!!!

Wal went to the University of Ralph Velez for palm placement. Graduated with honours, went on to get his graduate degree, and PH.D.(doctorate) there!

I must admit, I also subscribe to the Velez planting approach!

Edited January 8, 2009 by gsn

[ariscott]

I found too with triangles, they look much better in the sun. I saw some grown in shade and they look sickly and rotting away. If you can plant them out in the open with as much sun as possible, it doesn't really matter how much water it gets (with good drainage, of course). Mine gets as much as everything else, and they still look good.

Regards, Ari

[Walter John]

I found too with triangles, they look much better in the sun. I saw some grown in shade and they look sickly and rotting away. If you can plant them out in the open with as much sun as possible, it doesn't really matter how much water it gets (with good drainage, of course). Mine gets as much as everything else, and they still look good.

Regards, Ari

Totally agree Ari, they must be in full sun. My daughter has one in mostly shade and it looks terrible.

[Tala]

yes they don't like powerlines, most palms don't. Shame on the plantee in this case.

mine did not set on 1st try but man after that it's non stop w/ them. I let them fall onto the ground below and just dig out whenever I need some. Very easy to move. I think mine had about 3 or 4 ft of wood when it started.

One thing I don't like - the old leaf bases will hold water in them and in the winter the water causes damage to the stem, making large horizontal cracks. But the palm seems to care less, just keeps on going. I like them in a little shade to stretch out the petioles some. Not full shade but dappled. Does keep them thin tho'. I also like the long reins that hang down of the fronds.

[LJG]

Could you imagine how much money this palm would fetch if it were rare? Too many people have lost sight of its beauty because it is a little common. Not me. I have two and it is still one of the palms I am caught leering at the most.

Oops.. Did I say leering? I meant ogle.

[CromulentKevin]

I planted a 5 gallon size or so triangle in summer of 2007 and it is like it has never bothered to get established. Really slow to produce new growth, fronds get necrosis and spotting really soon after opening. . .I have no idea why it doesn't like it where it is. . .it gets plenty of sun. Although the base of it has a decent amount of other plants around it, so perhaps it is trapping excess moisture that it doesn't care for. I wish I knew how to turn it around. All I'm doing now is hoping it'll fix itself and get established and start taking off.

[Jose Maria]

Hi friends,

Here in the south of Costa Rica, the weather is too wet I think for a good looking D.decipiens.

Some time ago I saw one dying, planted in a garden with good care. All D decipiens here look bad , "ratty"#.

Now 2 days ago I asked a friend with a nursery, the same situation. He brough t 10 for sale...and 7 died. They rot and die.

I guess Matty and Wal said it: they need good drainage, and little water. Years ago I saw a good one in a dryer area of Costa Rica (Palmares) where there is a real dry season.

I´ve never seen one here with seed either, a palm that´s stressed will not set fruit.

[Walter John]

Yahoo! That's great Wal. Nice looking triangle!

Do you think that Bizmarkia is to close to the triangle?

Joe

Hi Joe, I had this in the back of my mind so I went out to take some pics which shows a better view of the gap between triangle and bizzie. I'm happy enough with this even though there will be a smash up later.

And from the other side.

[Jeff in St Pete]

That's a nice blue bizzie Wal. It really stands out next to the silver color on the Triangle.

[Walter John]

That's a nice blue bizzie Wal. It really stands out next to the silver color on the Triangle.

Thanks Jeff, here's a close up of it's new leaf.

I took some pics of the Dypsis hybrid (triangle x redneck) while I was at it with the digital showing it's relative distance from the big triangle. Here it is bursting forth with a new leaf which can now be seen much clearer after I pruned some grevillea branches. You may notice Matty there are some brown tipped leaflets on the main triangle.

[Joe palma]

Yahoo! That's great Wal. Nice looking triangle!

Do you think that Bizmarkia is to close to the triangle?

Joe

Hi Joe, I had this in the back of my mind so I went out to take some pics which shows a better view of the gap between triangle and bizzie. I'm happy enough with this even though there will be a smash up later.

And from the other side.

Ah, better picture angles Wal! Shows there is more space than I originally thought, which seemed to be a foot or so. Shouldn't be to bad later on.

Ditto what Jeff said, that bizzy's blue color is really nice!

And you have the hybrid triangle x redneck. Sweet!

Keep it up Wal!!!

[Central Floridave]

Mine if flowering for the first time as well. photo from last month.

[Central Floridave]

photo from last week

[freakypalmguy]

I planted a 5 gallon size or so triangle in summer of 2007 and it is like it has never bothered to get established. Really slow to produce new growth, fronds get necrosis and spotting really soon after opening. . .I have no idea why it doesn't like it where it is. . .it gets plenty of sun. Although the base of it has a decent amount of other plants around it, so perhaps it is trapping excess moisture that it doesn't care for. I wish I knew how to turn it around. All I'm doing now is hoping it'll fix itself and get established and start taking off.

Definitely too much agua Kevin. I killed one here that way as well. I'll give it a try again someday.

Matt

[Dave-Vero]

freakypalmguy's probably right about water. Mine's in a rather unwatered corner of the yard and has thrived on lack of irrigation.

[brodklop]

I killed my one and only triangle with water. The pigafetta next to it thrived. It just rotted and stunk to high heaven.

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Hi Wal

Good example of both palms . I tried a triangle but it burnt really bad in October in full sun . My bizzie is making its second leaf now slowly but steady BTW its been our coldest summer for 11 yrs .

[Walter John]

Hi Wal

Good example of both palms . I tried a triangle but it burnt really bad in October in full sun . My bizzie is making its second leaf now slowly but steady BTW its been our coldest summer for 11 yrs .

Hi Troy, maybe your season will pick up still. The real hot days are yet to smash us here, usually end of Jan, early Feb. Will you try another decaryii ?

[PalmGuyWC]

I can remember when Dypsis decaryi was a VERY rare palm, but it was called Neodypsis then. There was one growing at Fairchild Gardens, and I think it was the only one growing in the USA. Paul Drummond and I watched it for years and it finally started seeding. The staff at Fairchild didn't collect the seeds and they were laying there on the ground for the taking, so some fell into Paul's pocket.

Eventually Fairchild propigated some and they were sold for a heafty price. The 2nd generation started seeding and soon they could be seen growing in yards all over S. Florida. It's interesting how the price of a new introduction spirals down after the 2nd generation starts seeding. I saw the same thing happen with Carpentaria, Wodyetia, and some of the Veitchias when they were introduced into S. Florida.

What's rare today might be common tomorrow, and especially if it's an easy to grow palm. To me, D. decaryi is most attractive when it first starts blooming, like Wal's, and the first few years after blooming when the base of the petioles is at eye level. They seem to lose some of their charm when they grow taller.

Dick

[Daryl]

Dick, you beat me to it! I too remember when Triangles were so rare. In fact, there were none growing in Australia, and I had only ever seen them in Palms Of The World. The same could be said for Ravenea rivularis. Both species were impossible to obtain, and were highly desirable.

These days you can see them growing in hundreds of thousands of home gardens here, and can go down to the local nursery or hardware store and buy either species for next to no money.

A lot of local trees have been seeding for a while, and germinate and grow with ease. I have seen publicly planted trees have their seedlings hacked down with a brushcutter, and they just bounced right back...Very tough customers!

Daryl

[Tassie_Troy1971]

Hi Wal

Good example of both palms . I tried a triangle but it burnt really bad in October in full sun . My bizzie is making its second leaf now slowly but steady BTW its been our coldest summer for 11 yrs .

Hi Troy, maybe your season will pick up still. The real hot days are yet to smash us here, usually end of Jan, early Feb. Will you try another decaryii ?

Maybe ,iv'e just realized that i may have er overwatered the triangle from other posters here . My howeas and hedys are growing great in the cool weather .

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/dwo/200901/h...21.200901.shtml

[street124]

These really are not that tough, as you can see they topple real easy in storms. I stood it up with a rock and approx 17 years later it set its first seed this summer.