Dypsis Decipiens Hybrids

[The Gerg]

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve chimed in on this thread. (Or any thread for that matter.) I did some clean up on my side yard this last weekend. This palm is the second palm pictured in the first post on this thread. (The second palm, not the second picture. ) Anyways, it took me awhile to get this in the ground but once I did this palm has really took off. What I also really love about it is it seems to maintain a deep green color to its leaf’s. This one doesn’t seem to be as beefy as some pictured on this thread which is why I was willing to gamble in a fairly narrow space. The other two are still waiting for just the right spot.

[ExperimentalGrower]

On 7/3/2024 at 4:20 PM, flplantguy said:

My first foray into a red dicipiens failed miserably, and i think the blue form i have is different (but not dead! They are happy), so i don't think i can help other than to agree on the soil transition and mounding.  Could you add lava rock to the mix for porosity and faster drainage?  Another idea would be to dig out like you plan and add a franch drain or pipe it out if possible, but if your at low elevation that may not be feasable either.  I have one under my driveway to drain a spot that gets slammed by roadway runoff that has been highly effective, and i used the stuff you get from a big box store.  I hope you get it to grow happily!  My vote is of course for the hybrid.  Do you notice any hybrid vigor growing it compared to the pure decipiens?

The entire bed mine is planted in is heavily amended with organics and lots of small red lava pebbles and pumice added to the native clay soil. Has worked out very well.

[ExperimentalGrower]

On 10/20/2024 at 8:43 AM, Alberto said:

Is there certainty that this are all offspring of a Chrysalidocarpus ( Dypsis) decipiens and not a mislabeling od some palm seedling or or seed mixing in a greenhouse...... (???)

Hi Alberto, I can confirm with near certainty mine is a hybrid and not an errant type of unclassified palm.

[Hilo Jason]

Back in December I put some of the Decipiens hybrid seeds in a community pot and today noticed I have 3 sprouting!  These are large seeds so I probably didn’t put many in this small pot. So we’ll see if I get more.  There are a lot of seed that have fallen at the base of the parent plant, so I’ll keep an eye to see if those start sprouting too. 
 

And here are a couple of updated photos of the parent plant:

[JD in the OC]

Prob a back-cross of some kind. Very cool Hilo Jason!  Should be very fast growing!

JD

[quaman58]

On 10/18/2024 at 6:53 PM, quaman58 said:

I’ve posted this palm previously I think. It actually is in my next-door neighbors house. Probably the best looking palm in either one of our yards. Purchased as D. decipiens, but was always more stretched out looking. It always looked like it had some D. onilihensis “upright” in it, given the deeply recurved leaflets. Hybrid or not, it’s awesome..

As I was re-reading this, it occurred to me that although it has 2 stems, they result from the original one splitting above ground, as opposed to suckering at the soil line. Similar to what onilihensis frequently does, for what that's worth. 

[Hilo Jason]

5 hours ago, JD in the OC said:

Prob a back-cross of some kind. Very cool Hilo Jason!  Should be very fast growing!

JD

When you mention back cross, would that mean needing to cross with one of the original parents?  In this case that would be Decipiens or A Madagascariensis type? 
 

I don’t have either of those growing in my garden, so if this did back cross, it would have been with a different Chrysalidocarpus. 
 

I had this happen in my previous garden. I had a Pembana x Madagascariensis that gave me a few viable seed. I’ve also had. Sp. Mayotte hybrid give me viable seed from my old garden. I’m curious to see what these seedlings end up growing into. 

[ExperimentalGrower]

1 hour ago, Hilo Jason said:

When you mention back cross, would that mean needing to cross with one of the original parents?  In this case that would be Decipiens or A Madagascariensis type? 
 

I don’t have either of those growing in my garden, so if this did back cross, it would have been with a different Chrysalidocarpus. 
 

I had this happen in my previous garden. I had a Pembana x Madagascariensis that gave me a few viable seed. I’ve also had. Sp. Mayotte hybrid give me viable seed from my old garden. I’m curious to see what these seedlings end up growing into. 

I’d imagine it’s just self pollinated unless there was another Chrysalidocarpus nearby. But ya not a back cross. 

[JD in the OC]

2 hours ago, ExperimentalGrower said:

I’d imagine it’s just self pollinated unless there was another Chrysalidocarpus nearby. But ya not a back cross. 

What are you basing that on ExperimentalGrower?

JD

[JD in the OC]

4 hours ago, Hilo Jason said:

When you mention back cross, would that mean needing to cross with one of the original parents?  In this case that would be Decipiens or A Madagascariensis type? 
 

I don’t have either of those growing in my garden, so if this did back cross, it would have been with a different Chrysalidocarpus. 
 

I had this happen in my previous garden. I had a Pembana x Madagascariensis that gave me a few viable seed. I’ve also had. Sp. Mayotte hybrid give me viable seed from my old garden. I’m curious to see what these seedlings end up growing into. 

Meaning it got donor pollen from another Chrysalidocarpus in your garden. Maybe one of the original parents, maybe a third species...
No way to know for sure since it is open pollinated.  Either way it should be fast and have some interesting morphology!
 

JD

[shepcs]

Here’s mine in SoCal

 

[ExperimentalGrower]

Autumn update and a bit of compare and contrast. Pics from 3 years ago shortly after planting vs this week. This palm wants to be huge and has no trouble showing it. Fast grower for sure. Now over eight feet tall and at least as wide with no less than 6 trunks forming.

 

[BayAndroid]

On 9/27/2025 at 2:59 PM, ExperimentalGrower said:

Autumn update and a bit of compare and contrast. Pics from 3 years ago shortly after planting vs this week. This palm wants to be huge and has no trouble showing it. Fast grower for sure. Now over eight feet tall and at least as wide with no less than 6 trunks forming.

 

That is and will be quite the spectacle... beautiful

[Hilo Jason]

I was out cleaning up this part of the garden and did some trimming on this Decipiens hybrid which makes it easier to get photos of it. 
 

 

 

Also, for what it’s worth, I was speaking with a friend about this palm. He is familiar with the original garden this seed came from and mentioned that he believed the Decipiens crossed with a Baronii which is close by.  In the past I thought it was crossed with a Madagascariensis type palm that is right next to the Decipiens, but none of these hybrids, to my knowledge, showed any irregular leaflets which crosses with Madagascariensis always seem to show. 
 

Supposedly, Decipiens and Baronii are very closely related on the Chrysalidocarpus DNA tree. That would explain many things about these hybrids.  Not just their appearance, but also the fact that so many hybrids happened from the 1 seed batch, and now the hybrids themselves are making plenty of viable seed.  I’m no expert but I wonder if palms that are so closely related hybridize, does that create a somewhat new species?  Or a variation?  

[ExperimentalGrower]

1 hour ago, Hilo Jason said:

I was out cleaning up this part of the garden and did some trimming on this Decipiens hybrid which makes it easier to get photos of it. 
 

 

 

Also, for what it’s worth, I was speaking with a friend about this palm. He is familiar with the original garden this seed came from and mentioned that he believed the Decipiens crossed with a Baronii which is close by.  In the past I thought it was crossed with a Madagascariensis type palm that is right next to the Decipiens, but none of these hybrids, to my knowledge, showed any irregular leaflets which crosses with Madagascariensis always seem to show. 
 

Supposedly, Decipiens and Baronii are very closely related on the Chrysalidocarpus DNA tree. That would explain many things about these hybrids.  Not just their appearance, but also the fact that so many hybrids happened from the 1 seed batch, and now the hybrids themselves are making plenty of viable seed.  I’m no expert but I wonder if palms that are so closely related hybridize, does that create a somewhat new species?  Or a variation?  

I don't believe it creates a new species, just a man made hybrid. I saw that second pic and instantly 'baronii' popped into my head. Very similar look.