Dypsis pilulifera

[PalmatierMeg]

In March 2009 I bought a 1g D. pilulifera from Searles. I was (still am) in novice palm-planting mode and placed this little guy in the shade garden. But what was shaded in March ended up in blistering sun by June and the poor thing suffered and limped along. And perhaps it hates FL sandy soil even though I amended the soil before planting. By fall I realized I might soon lose it, dug it up and potted it. It survived winter and looked to be forming a little trunk and putting out a new spear that emerged at a 45-degree angle. But it is still a sickly, yellow-green no matter what I do.

Last weekend I decided to unpot it, wash away lingering sandy soil and repot it with new mix. I took photos for expert review here. You can see its root structure hasn't expanded beyond the 1g original. To show my ignorance, I'll ask, Is that dark brown 3" long by 1" wide structure from which roots and trunk emerge a "heel"?

Any suggestions for making this palm a greener, happier camper? Is there hope I can someday plant it in the yard again? I really want this little survivor to make it.

Dypsis pilulifera, unpotted, from two angles

Closer look at stem & roots

Dypsis pilulifera, repotted

[BS Man about Palms]

Hi Meg.

Yep, thats the heel. I've been finding out that with most heeled Dypsis, they move at their own speed, not a whole lot you can do to help them. When I pot one up, its only to the next size. (1 to 2, 2 to 3 MAYBE 5, but no longer a 1 to a 5) Also "plant high" because that heel will pull it down into the soil for a while where it will be prone to rot.

That being said, I would think your best luck would be to almost treat it like a cactus that needs some shade and to rarely expect more than 2 leaves a year. (Once its growing) I have talked a lot to Jeff and others down your way and I'm convinced that why Dypsis isn't more popular down there. They are SLOW, people are spoiled with fast palm growth and think its not worth it. When I was at Jeff's this spring, a lot of people were saying how well their Dypsis did in the cold weather and thus they are gaining a bit in popularity. Same thing goes with the New Caledonia palms (slow and take cold well).

Good luck! (I must say with all your moving and repotting, I'd almost think you were the east coast version of Gary LeVine!)

Bill

[peachy]

Meg, I bought some small D.piluliferas years ago. I found I had to keep them in the shade, maybe a bit of morning sun at the most. But they were so SLOW. I thought there something I was doing wrong, however I was assured they are just a 'bit' slow. I have been getting rid of most of my go slow dypsis. I have enough to look after without bothering with things that wont be big enough to sit under in my lifetime. Now back to your problem, a weekly drink of seaweed solution for a month would help it resettle into a pot. They grow a bit faster in a pot I have found, until they are big enough to plant. (about 1 metre)

Peachy

[bgl]

Meg,

That doesn't look like a Dypsis pilulifera. I have hundreds of them in 2G pots, about the same size as yours, and every single one of them has leaflets that are very close together. In fact, they are for the most part just barely overlapping.

Bo-Göran

[Walter John]

carlsmithii ?

[Peter Pacific]

Hi Meg, I recently bought three D. pilulifera seedlings and they were beautiful when they arrived and were dead within a couple of weeks. Good Luck with yours. Peter

[BS Man about Palms]

Meg,

That doesn't look like a Dypsis pilulifera. I have hundreds of them in 2G pots, about the same size as yours, and every single one of them has leaflets that are very close together. In fact, they are for the most part just barely overlapping.

Bo-Göran

Yeah- I was gonna mention that. I know Jeff got some seed in as Dypsis pilulifera, but they don't look like the "Bo" version. Not sure what they are, kinda look like the D. betafaka that came in too... ??

[PalmatierMeg]

Thanks for the info, everyone. Bill and Bo, I was going to ask if it isn't D. pilulifera what is it? But it appears neither of you is sure. I'm beginning to wonder if this mystery Dypsis will stay small. Its new pot is smaller than the last - 2g instead of 3g. I'm keeping it under 75% shadecloth on the back lanai.

Peachy, I just got some seaweed extract sent to me. I will use it on this little guy. Hopefully, that will help it green up.

[palmislandRandy]

Meg, I bought these a few years ago as D. pilulifera. They look a lot like yours, not like Bo's description. What are they then?? I also hit them with seaweed once a month!

Randy

[palmislandRandy]

I have a tough time ID'ing at this stage.

Randy

[PalmatierMeg]

Meg, I bought these a few years ago as D. pilulifera. They look a lot like yours, not like Bo's description. What are they then?? I also hit them with seaweed once a month!

Randy

Randy, I haven't a clue what they are but would like to know and learn how to best care for them. Yours & mine appear similar. Any thoughts, Jeff?

[peachy]

This is another reason I have gone right off Dypsis almost anything. I have often bought 2 seperate palms with different names then later they are found to be the same, or buying something as something only to have it turn into something else. It's annoying enough with the faster growing species of this genera but when one waits for years (even decades) for the things to become what you expected and they still end up being something else, well its enough to put me off for life. People get all excited about a new dypsis species being found when they cant even identify half the species already in cultivation.

Peachy

[amazon exotics]

Meg, I would care for them like most Dypsis, mostly shade, don't keep them too wet and use fast draining soil.

[Jeff Searle]

Meg, I would care for them like most Dypsis, mostly shade, don't keep them too wet and use fast draining soil.

I think that's excellent advice. As far as the true identity, these seeds were bought and brought out of Madagascar, so as most of you know, that's a crap roll. I think what Bo's refering to is the (old ?) D. tsaravoasira look?

[ariscott]

I have D. pilulifera and they don't look like that. The leaflets are definitely broader...

Talking about slow!!!!

Regards, Ari

Edited May 20, 2010 by ariscott

[bgl]

Here are a few photos of some of my 2G Dypsis pilulifera seedlings. These all came from seeds collected from one of my own trees in September 2006. They were moved up from a community pot into individual 1G pots in mid 2007 and into 2G pots last year, 2009. John Dransfield positively identified this species as D. pilulifera from flower and seeds that I sent him in 2006.

Jeff, since I believe you received pilulifera seeds from me in late 2006, I would think you should be able to mentally compare those seeds with anything recent out of Madagascar, to determine whether it may in fact be a different species? And yes, pilulifera was indeed referred to (incorrectly) as "tsaravoasira" for quite a few years. When Dransfield was here in July 2008 he also positively identified the true Dypsis tsaravoasira. This is the palm that was initally sold as D. ceracea (mid-late 1990s), and then around 2001 it was (again incorrectly) thought to be D. nauseosa. Both of those names are proper names, but just not for this palm, and as far as I know, not for any palm that is currently in cultivation.

[richnorm]

Are not the pilulifera that Bo is growing a superior variant? Certainly the picture in POM is of a rather untidy looking plumose leaved plant. Maybe the seedlings of such a plant don't look like Bo's either...

[Jeff Searle]

Bo,

Thanks, you made it perfectly clear. I do have some older D. pilulifera, which are extreamly slow for me. I also have plenty of D. tsaravoasira ( the old nauseosa )too. I need to start marketing them as such.

Jeff

[bgl]

Actually, I asked John Dransfield about the pilulifera photo in POM and he expressed regrets that there was no other photo available at the time. He referred to that individual as "sickly" and it should not have been published since the pilulifera is a very striking palm and the photo shows a palm that is anything but striking!

[BS Man about Palms]

BO! Don't leave yet! Did you look at the recent thread about Jerrys "malcolmberi" that look VERY similar to yours at an early age, but he thinks may be like a palm Pauleen has over there that I think looks like a dead ringer for the POM pilulifera pic??

(I'll search now)

[bgl]

And for those who have the patience and environment to get these palms beyond the tedious seedling stage - this is what you can expect in a few years time. Some smaller ones and some larger ones.

[BS Man about Palms]

Here Bo.

http://www.palmtalk.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=9836&st=40

Look at post #66 and see if it does not match the POM picture.

Jerry thinks "his" might turn into this. Follow?

[bgl]

Bill,

Not sure where you heading with this. The palm in that other thread (in the Sullivan garden) is most definitely not a pilulifera, while the palm in the photo on page 161 in POM, according to Dransfield, IS a pilulifera. But a very old and sick pilulifera! The palm in that photo should NOT be used for comparison with ANY palm in cultivation.

Bo-Göran

[Wanderanwills]

And for those who have the patience and environment to get these palms beyond the tedious seedling stage - this is what you can expect in a few years time. Some smaller ones and some larger ones.

Absolutely gorgeous!

Regards

Stephen

[ariscott]

And for those who have the patience and environment to get these palms beyond the tedious seedling stage - this is what you can expect in a few years time. Some smaller ones and some larger ones.

I know Bo.... but I don't know whether I could wait that long... First I have to wait till my seedlings are big enough to plant out and then I have to wait for them to grow.... (sigh...)

Regards, Ari

[BS Man about Palms]

Bill,

Not sure where you heading with this. The palm in that other thread (in the Sullivan garden) is most definitely not a pilulifera, while the palm in the photo on page 161 in POM, according to Dransfield, IS a pilulifera. But a very old and sick pilulifera! The palm in that photo should NOT be used for comparison with ANY palm in cultivation.

Bo-Göran

OK- I'll try it another way. Do you think Jerry's palm in post #44 and #45 IS THE SAME as your Dypsis pilulifera/orange crush? Tomentum included?

[bgl]

I'm reluctant to attempt to ID any of Jerry's palms, but the one in the first photo in Post#44 does look like a juvenile pilulifera. The others do not. Since the photos were taken more than a year and a half ago, maybe Jerry can update us. Especially on the one in the first photo in #44.

[BS Man about Palms]

Thanks for the input Bo. Now if I can get you and Jerry here we may....open up another mystery! But from what I understand #44 and #45 ARE THE SAME PLANT.

Hmmm.

[doranakandawatta]

Posted 21 May 2010 - 03:47 AM

Bö:

And for those who have the patience and environment to get these palms beyond the tedious seedling stage - this is what you can expect in a few years time. Some smaller ones and some larger ones.

these are the pics which make me happy and dreaming, thank you thank you thank you Palmtalk community!

and I start with that: ... and hope!

Best regards

Philippe