Dictosperma album rubrum

[Jim in Los Altos]

Any words of advice would be appreciated about what's neccessary for a Dictosperma album rubrum to grow reasonably healthy up here in the Bay Area. I will soon be the proud owner of a CA grown 5 gallon specimen and I really want it to survive. If it's at least as hardy as a Wodyetia, it has a fighting chance. What do you think?

[SubTropicRay]

Hi Jim,

Dictyosperma is much more cold tender than Wodyetia.  Anything below 32F will significantly affect the foliage with total defoliation at about 28-30F.  This palm also suffers foliage damage from extended bouts with low but above freezing temps.  I'd still give it a try but plant in a well protected position.  It will probably grow more slowly for you as this palm prefers extended periods of higher temperatures (than you may routinely see).

Good luck,

Ray

[quaman58]

Jim,

I thought it was a stretch to see them in the S.D. area, but the zoo had a nice looking young plant. I was very suprised at how well it looked. That was in January, but before the freeze. Don't know how it fared through that....

Bret

[Tyrone]

I would suggest planting it in a place that is south facing against a brick wall etc with rocks all around the base. Make sure all cold front winds can not get to it, and make sure it can handle full sun to extract every last bit of heat from the winter sun, but not incinerate in the same exposed position in summer.

Just my thoughts.

regards

Tyrone

[ellidro]

Here is three week post freeze pic of the dictosperma album var rubrum at the san diego zoo.  Looked great!  Minor leaf damage only!

[mlovecan]

Hi,

  I planted a Dictosperma album rubrum last summer. It suffered alot of sunburn in the summer and hardly recovered by the fall ( 3 new leaves ).

 

   I was quite surprised at what it has done this winter. It has breezed right through and actually added a leaf - much the same as what I would expect from an archontophoenix in it's second year.

[doubravsky]

I've had one in Riverside for 3 yrs. I planted it close to the house with some protection from a larger archonto cunninghamia. It made it through the first two winters with no problems... seeing low temps of 30 and 28 for the two winters.

This year it saw 24 or lower. It mostly defoliated, and I have the spear marked for about a week- no growth. Probably a goner.

[deezpalms]

I've got 2 in 5 gallons and I've had them for almost 2 years. Both looking great in filtered light 1 mile from the ocean in San Diego, Ca.

[epicure3]

My understanding is that the hurricane palm looks nothing like it should when grown in SoCal...looks more like a king palm when larger (as opposed to FLA). They do seem to grow here though. I don't know about NoCal.

[deezpalms]

(epicure3 @ Mar. 21 2007,08:18)

QUOTE

My understanding is that the hurricane palm looks nothing like it should when grown in SoCal...looks more like a king palm when larger (as opposed to FLA). They do seem to grow here though. I don't know about NoCal.

Maybe so but they have alot more color to them then any king's I've ever seen.

[Matt in SD]

I have an album 'rubrum' that 's been in the ground through two winters.  It had no cold damage down to 33F this winter and didn't seem to suffer at all with 5 nights in a row below 40F.  It is a very fast grower in the summer, and it is already growing pretty nicely from the warm temps we've had lately.  

Like Epicure said, though, the ones I've seen in Cali look like a different palm than the ones in Hawaii or Florida.  In tropical climates the leaves have a nice recurved and twisted form, while in Cali, the shape is very similar to an Archontophoenix.  This is one of those cases where if you never saw one anywhere else, you'd think it looked fine in California.  That said, mine is putting out very long, recurved leaves right now so I have hopes that it will get that classic Dictyosperma look.

Matt

[Jim in Los Altos]

Thanks all for your valuable knowledge on this interesting species. I guess I'll hope that my new palm is better than average genetically for a fighting chance here and I'll keep it potted or move it to a ten gallon container and grow it a couple of years that way before committing it to the ground. I've been able to keep a few Cocos as many as three years outside without fussing over them before they finally went down so I'm hoping the hurricane palm, AKA princess palm, is hardier.

[Palmy]

I've been able to keep a few Cocos as many as three years outside without fussing over them before they finally went down so I'm hoping the hurricane palm, AKA princess palm, is hardier

Say what!?

[tim_brissy_13]

There is a Dictyosperma album growing in a local nursery here.  It is next to a large pond, receives filtered light and is protected from wind.  It grows steadily and looks overall much better than most Wodyetias.  I grew a seedling to its 5th leaf outside before it died of an unknown cause last summer.  Dictyosperma album seems to have a bit of cool tolerance, however I wouldn't know about minimum temperatures.