Dypsis - mysteries, hybrids and more

[Hilo Jason]

I thought it would be interesting to start a thread dedicated to Dypsis. Feel free to post pictures and discuss any of the Dypsis mysteries, hybrids or stunning species that you have. 

I’ll kick off this first post with a hybrid mystery from my own garden. 

The below palm grew from a batch of Dypsis Robusta seed at Floribunda palms here on the Big Island. Suchin set this palm aside and was kind enough to let me buy it on one of my visits. It was busting out of a 15 gallon pot at the time. It has since responded very well to being in the ground. 

opposite side:

close up:

wider shot of planter:

On a recent trip back to Floribunda I showed these pictures to Suchin and we explored around the Dypsis Robusta to see what it could have hybridized with. While there are many possibilities since Floribunda is a Dypsis wonderland, we believe that it most likely crossed with Dypsis Lanceolata which is very close to the Robusta parent tree. That would explain the smaller stature of the palm as well as some of the other traits this palm shows. 

———————

Please post some of your favorite Dypsis photos. Doesn’t need to be a hybrid or a mystery, just a Dypsis.  Looking forward to seeing some posts from other gardens around the world. 

[John hovancsek]

I love d. Robusta and have had a few problems until now

[Matt in OC]

That is ridiculously beautiful. Wow!

[John hovancsek]

I have a few candy cane dypsis marbilis in the yard and they all look different 

[Hilo Jason]

42 minutes ago, John hovancsek said:

I love d. Robusta and have had a few problems until now

Hey John, if you’re interested in another Robusta, I have one in my yard that I need to dig up. It’s a nice size but still should be diggable. PM me if you want it. No charge, just help me dig! Good to see that healthy new leaf on yours. 

[Hilo Jason]

41 minutes ago, John hovancsek said:

I have a few candy cane dypsis marbilis in the yard and they all look different 

Nice!  Same here, I have a few of these. Some are split leaf, others are entire. I just bought 3 more from Bill Austin and will plant them soon but in full sun. My other 3 are in shade. 

[The Silent Seed]

Jason,

Stunning garden! Is that a Dypsis "Black Stem" to the left of it? And what's the monster at the left end? 

 

[Hilo Jason]

2 hours ago, santoury said:

Jason,

Stunning garden! Is that a Dypsis "Black Stem" to the left of it? And what's the monster at the left end? 

 

Thanks!  To the left is a Dypsis Ovobontisra, and then Dypsis Sp Lafa (which was also sold as Dwarf Saintelucei).  Then the big one on the far left end is Dypsis Ampasindavae.

[Dunedin Steve]

Neat pics.  I dig the black lava rock, too; nice contrast...

[Hilo Jason]

Today’s Dypsis is more on the mystery side of things. While it did come in with a name, it’s not an official name and I’m not sure who (if anyone) knows where in Madagascar these came from. 

Dypsis “sp Metallic Ovobontsira”, first photo is a very small plant in my garden.  But you can see the metallic-like sheen on the leaflets.  New leaf opens salmon colored:

Next up is one at Floribunda. Very sorry for the poor photo, lighting was all wrong and just couldn’t get a better angle.  But you can see this turning into a good sized palm.

Final shot of this species is from the Bill Austin garden, wow! 

It’s hard to tell the size without someone in there for scale, but it’s a good sized palm! 

Oh, and as an added bonus, when an old leaf base falls off, the crownshaft is purple!!!  

If you’re growing this Dypsis “metallic ovobontsira”, feel free to share a photo or two.

[ellidro]

Jason do you have a Dypsis sp. Vatovavy Blue? These look very similar to metallic ovobontsira when young. I haven't seen a blue vatovavy with size to compare to when bigger. Anyone think vatovay blue and metallic ovobontsira are one in the same?

 

[Hilo Jason]

17 minutes ago, ellidro said:

Jason do you have a Dypsis sp. Vatovavy Blue? These look very similar to metallic ovobontsira when young. I haven't seen a blue vatovavy with size to compare to when bigger. Anyone think vatovay blue and metallic ovobontsira are one in the same?

 

I don’t have one of them but I have thought the exact same as you that they could be the same. However when I was at Floribunda and looking at small “Vatovavy blue” plants I also thought that they sure looked a lot like Ampasindavae. So it’s really hard to tell at the smaller size. I’m not aware of any large Vatovavy Blue here on Hawaii, but doesn’t mean there aren’t any. Gives me a good reason to ask around and visit some more gardens. 

On a side note, a few years ago I had the opportunity to join Len in Madagascar and we hiked Mt. Vatovavy so I will have to go back and look at the photos I took and compare them. 

[Dypsisdean]

52 minutes ago, ellidro said:

Jason do you have a Dypsis sp. Vatovavy Blue? These look very similar to metallic ovobontsira when young. I haven't seen a blue vatovavy with size to compare to when bigger. Anyone think vatovay blue and metallic ovobontsira are one in the same?

 

I always thought they are probably one in the same. And they do look very similar to D. ampasindavae when young, until they start to get that metallic sheen going with some size and sun.

[Hilo Jason]

--

[Hilo Jason]

On 8/3/2019 at 11:45 AM, ellidro said:

Jason do you have a Dypsis sp. Vatovavy Blue? These look very similar to metallic ovobontsira when young. I haven't seen a blue vatovavy with size to compare to when bigger. Anyone think vatovay blue and metallic ovobontsira are one in the same?

 

Ok, so I went back and looked through the pictures I took on Mt. Vatovavy and I found these. 

Disclaimer: I am not saying that these palms pictured are the same palms as what has been sold as "Vatovavy Blue" or "Metallic Ovobontsira".  What I am saying is that these palms were growing all over Mt. Vatovavy and they were the only palm like them there.  Other palms growing on the mountain are Prestoniana, Mananjaransis, Basilonga and some understory dypsis.   All very different than this type.   So I would assume that these are "Vatovavy Blue", but cannot guarantee it.  Does that mean they are also "Metallic Ovobontsira"?  Who knows!! 

[Hilo Jason]

Next up is a Dypsis Prestoniana variation that goes by the name “Mony Mony” at Floribunda. Prestoniana get big, but then there’s this guy that is just absolutely massive! 

[BS Man about Palms]

I had one from a friend in Florida.. It did well, then I neglected it a bit too much.. now gone  But I have another large Dypsis in the pot still marked as "mony mony"...

 

[Matt in OC]

Is Mony Mony different from Big Curly?

[Hilo Jason]

15 hours ago, BS Man about Palms said:

I had one from a friend in Florida.. It did well, then I neglected it a bit too much.. now gone  But I have another large Dypsis in the pot still marked as "mony mony"...

 

Sorry to hear about losing one.  It’s nice that you have another, maybe you can post a picture here?

[Hilo Jason]

12 hours ago, Matt in OC said:

Is Mony Mony different from Big Curly?

I’m not sure. There are several variations of Prestoniana, from different areas of Madagascar. I’m not sure what type of names have been applied to which. I need to ask Jeff Marcus the story behind the “Mony Mony” name / palm. Or if anyone else knows, please post!

[BS Man about Palms]

21 hours ago, Hilo Jason said:

Sorry to hear about losing one.  It’s nice that you have another, maybe you can post a picture here?

Sorry I wasn't clear... I have the old POT with "mony-mony" painted on the side... housing another heeled type Dypsis..

[Hilo Jason]

12 hours ago, BS Man about Palms said:

Sorry I wasn't clear... I have the old POT with "mony-mony" painted on the side... housing another heeled type Dypsis..

Hah, ok got ya!!

[Hilo Jason]

Here’s a Dypsis Prestoniana x Madagascariensis hybrid. 

One year growth - before:

one year later:

[joe_OC]

3 hours ago, Hilo Jason said:

Here’s a Dypsis Prestoniana x Madagascariensis hybrid. 

One year growth - before:

one year later:

That is amazing growth rate!

[Hilo Jason]

5 hours ago, joe_OC said:

That is amazing growth rate!

Yeah this palm is fast. I had one in California and it was fast there so I figured it would be a rocket here.  Showing some nice coloring too. 

[realarch]

 Intermittent rain showers this morning and I couldn't resist posting a few photos. 

An unkown Dypsis, I have no ideas, but it's looks like it's gonna be BIG.

 

 

[realarch]

This one was acquired as D. sp. 'metallic'. Starting to grow nicely and has outstanding color. 

There is a 1 gal. pot in most of the photos for scale. 

Tim

 

[realarch]

D. ampasindavae. Geeze I hope I spelled that correctly. Just missed the color on the new leaf. 

Tim

[realarch]

Dypsis marojejy, or D. coursii.

 

[realarch]

D. malcomberi, at least what it was acquired as. Doing that typical Dypsis thing of sending out horizontal leaves. 

 

[realarch]

D. mananjarensis. Finally starting to get some size to them. Small 1 gal. when planted.

 

[realarch]

D. hovomantsina. another one that's got it's groove on. 

[realarch]

Dypsis basilonga. There have been some nice photos posted recently, and I thought I'd share more of some younger ones.

Tim

[realarch]

D. saintelucei, still one of the favorites. Killer palm.

[realarch]

Dypsis lafamazanga, I think. Now this is one spectacular little palm. This one just glows on it's lava flow home. 

Tim

 

[realarch]

Just a couple more......

D. robusta, the name says everything. 

[realarch]

D. betafaka or blue decipiens. Took awhile for it to look decent, kind of scrawny and oddly shaped for awhile. Looking much better lately.

Thanks Jason and everyone else for the inspiration.

Tim

[Bill Austin]

[Firepalm]

So many great plants in that collection!  Thanks for the pics!

[Matt in OC]

Epic!