Please join me in celebrating my larger Chambeyronia Houailou for two accomplishments:

1. a dazzling new red leaf

2. one foot of clear trunk

Arching green Houailou leaf frames canal

Trunk details

That looks like hookeri.  Houailou don't usually throw leaves that red.  Not for me, anyway!  Maybe a touch of salmon is all.

42 minutes ago, Ben in Norcal said:

That looks like hookeri.  Houailou don't usually throw leaves that red.  Not for me, anyway!  Maybe a touch of salmon is all.

You think so? It was sold to me as Houailou and has been more robust than C. macrocarpa. I've tried typical Hookeri and found it a lot wimpier and prone to drop dead. On the other hand, I've bought palms before from sellers who claimed they were experts...... Then again, when the pictured palm was small, its new leaves were salmon colored so go figure. 

12 minutes ago, PalmatierMeg said:

You think so? It was sold to me as Houailou and has been more robust than C. macrocarpa. I've tried typical Hookeri and found a lot wimpier and prone to drop dead. On the other hand, I've bought palms before from sellers who claimed they were experts...... Then again, when the pictured palm was small, its new leaves were salmon colored so go figure. 

It sure looks hookerii to me, but let's get some experts to weigh in!  Just my initial reaction.  It's gorg nonetheless! 

Thanks. If it is Hookeri I'll still be very happy to have one so bodacious. If there are so many bogus Houailous around where can one find the real thing?

31 minutes ago, PalmatierMeg said:

Thanks. If it is Hookeri I'll still be very happy to have one so bodacious. If there are so many bogus Houailous around where can one find the real thing?

Hi Meg,

C houailou holds bifid fronds much longer than C macrocarpa or hookeri.  The leaflets aren’t as wide and have a bluish hue to them.  Mine get a pinkish/salmon color, but no red on new fronds.  Here’s a pic of my smallest one with the bifid fronds:

 

 

HTH’s

 

Beautiful palm Meg, but I agree with the others that it's a Hookeri and not a Houailou.  

Hi Meg,

For what it’s worth I think it’s actually houailou. The easy check in person is the stiffness of the fronds. If they are much stiffer than macrocarpa it’s a houailou. 

Florabunda has 1 gallons and 4in for sale right now. It is hard to tell from the pic and I have herd that others have got a new red leaf on there plants but never seen one that red.. beautiful palm

6 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

You think so? It was sold to me as Houailou and has been more robust than C. macrocarpa. I've tried typical Hookeri and found it a lot wimpier and prone to drop dead. On the other hand, I've bought palms before from sellers who claimed they were experts...... Then again, when the pictured palm was small, its new leaves were salmon colored so go figure. 

Ah that’s valuable information!

My two are much smaller than yours salmon so far, you’re giving me something to look forward to!

@PalmatierMeg maybe give us a full Monty shot so we can see the shape, confirm ID and drool.

@PalmatierMeg Whichever Cham it turns to be its a beaut regardless 

12 hours ago, DoomsDave said:

@PalmatierMeg maybe give us a full Monty shot so we can see the shape, confirm ID and drool.

 

19 hours ago, PalmatierMeg said:

It was sold to me as Houailou and has been more robust than C. macrocarpa. I've tried typical Hookeri and found it a lot wimpier and prone to drop dead.

 

14 hours ago, tim_brissy_13 said:

Hi Meg,

For what it’s worth I think it’s actually houailou. The easy check in person is the stiffness of the fronds. If they are much stiffer than macrocarpa it’s a houailou. 

Tim has it right on the best way to assess if it is a C houailou or C hookeri, add the recommendation of Dave on the full monty and it should be pretty straightforward.  The stiffer leaves on C houailou result in a different overall structure when compared to C macrocarpa and hookeri.  Meg, I too have grown C macrocarpa and C hookeri but come to the opposite conclusion that my hookeri have been the survivors while the macrocarpa have struggled and some died over the years.  I believe that hookeri struggled for you in the past, but I wouldn't necessarily use that as a litmus test that this plant survived while your other hookeri didn't therefor this can't be a hookeri.  It is a beautiful palm no doubt and something to prize in your garden.  Thanks for sharing it!

The one argument I see for C houailou is the color of the rachis which is the yellow green.  My C hookeri all have a brownish/rubarb color on the rachis.  Perhaps others with C hookeri can contribute regarding the rachis color of their C hookeri to see if this is a distinguishing characteristic of C hookeri.  I know my C houailou and others I have seen have the lighter colored rachis like yours.  C hookeri with colorful rachis below.

Good observation on rachis color.  Houailou will have the lighter rachis vs. hookeri.  It very well could be a houailou, Meg!

I delved into my photo archive and came up with images of my younger Chambeyronia. The earliest photos come from 2011 when I planted it. New leaves were part green/part salmon.

2011

2012

2017

2018

Great growth rate, Meg!

5 hours ago, Tracy said:

 

 

Tim has it right on the best way to assess if it is a C houailou or C hookeri, add the recommendation of Dave on the full monty and it should be pretty straightforward.  The stiffer leaves on C houailou result in a different overall structure when compared to C macrocarpa and hookeri.  Meg, I too have grown C macrocarpa and C hookeri but come to the opposite conclusion that my hookeri have been the survivors while the macrocarpa have struggled and some died over the years.  I believe that hookeri struggled for you in the past, but I wouldn't necessarily use that as a litmus test that this plant survived while your other hookeri didn't therefor this can't be a hookeri.  It is a beautiful palm no doubt and something to prize in your garden.  Thanks for sharing it!

The one argument I see for C houailou is the color of the rachis which is the yellow green.  My C hookeri all have a brownish/rubarb color on the rachis.  Perhaps others with C hookeri can contribute regarding the rachis color of their C hookeri to see if this is a distinguishing characteristic of C hookeri.  I know my C houailou and others I have seen have the lighter colored rachis like yours.  C hookeri with colorful rachis below.

Also agree on the rachis colour observation. After seeing Meg’s latest photos I’m sure it’s houailou. 

Great looking Palm Meg I agree on the rachis color that hookerii is burgundy .I have seen houlaiou with 8' of trunk that has never gotten a  frond that red you are lucky congrats 

So I ran feverishly outside my front door to check and hookeri has burnished petioles and Chambeyronia H has green ones 
 

@PalmatierMeg I think you have a grand Chambeyronia H !

A houailou with unusually red new leaves?

Or.....

A hookerii with unusually green petioles?

I’m going with the houailou as others suggested. Beautiful palm Meg.

@PalmatierMeg got an update?

my houailou is not as red as megs but it show some nice color. First leaf it had a nice yellow border around the pinkish red. This the last one was more pink reddish. Th reason I pinkish red is my hookeri are very red, like near fire engine red.

Here is the houialou I waited a few days for the leaves to uncurl and it shows a little less of the pink red

And here is the hookeri, which has also a more persistent red as much as a month or more vs no mor ethan a week for houialou.

and with some direct sun transmitting the leaf, it becomes a "flame leaf"

I also have noticed the houailou is definitely more erect, I never noticed leaves at or below the horizontal.