Here we go again - creating Pepe'ekeo Palm Paradise

[Palm Tree Jim]

Incredible Jason!

[Tracy]

6 hours ago, Hilo Jason said:

The Tahinia planting is a great tribute to a your former family companiion Gracie.  Everything looks spectacular Jason.  I was curious which Ravenea this is in the center on the slope?  It reminds me of my Ravenea julietiaes, but I also have another slower growing one that has this appearance which does not hold as many leaves (fronds) here as the R julietiaes do.

[Hilo Jason]

1 hour ago, Tracy said:

The Tahinia planting is a great tribute to a your former family companiion Gracie.  Everything looks spectacular Jason.  I was curious which Ravenea this is in the center on the slope?  It reminds me of my Ravenea julietiaes, but I also have another slower growing one that has this appearance which does not hold as many leaves (fronds) here as the R julietiaes do.

Hi Tracy!  Yes that is Ravenea Julietiaes, or at least purchased as that from Floribunda. A slow grower here (not any faster than California from my experience there as well) but always looks good. Nice to have a palm that is a slower grower here as most are too fast!  Here’s a zoomed in photo of it from the opposite angle:

[iDesign]

So nice to start the new year with some serious EYE CANDY.  🍬🍬🍬

And unlike my holiday indulgences, no diet resolution required. 📝

Your photos motivate me to restart my own garden efforts (once it dries out a bit after recent rainstorms). Thanks for the mega dose of inspiration! 🌴

[Husain]

Beautifull garden and collection, indeed eye candy 😍

[tinman10101]

man jason ... i cant believe how much your garden has advanced in a couple of years.  seems like just yesterday we were reading about the start of this project.  

btw i was wondering if you have any decipiens planted?  your thread is so long now that i can't possibly remember.  you probably have a couple of the blue decipiens (aka betafaka) from jeff marcus.  regardless,  your garden is looking phenomenal.  

cheers

tin

[Hilo Jason]

5 hours ago, tinman10101 said:

man jason ... i cant believe how much your garden has advanced in a couple of years.  seems like just yesterday we were reading about the start of this project.  

btw i was wondering if you have any decipiens planted?  your thread is so long now that i can't possibly remember.  you probably have a couple of the blue decipiens (aka betafaka) from jeff marcus.  regardless,  your garden is looking phenomenal.  

cheers

tin

Hey Tin, thank you for the compliments!  

I do not have any true Decipiens in the garden.  I had one in a 10 gallon pot but it died before I found a home for it in the ground.  As you mentioned, I do have the Blue Decipiens and I also have a Decipiens hybrid.  In my opinion that is one big Chrysalidocarpus / Dypsis that looks better in a drier climate like Southern California.  I'm not sure I've seen many here in Hawaii that impress me when I see them. 

[tinman10101]

27 minutes ago, Hilo Jason said:

Hey Tin, thank you for the compliments!  

I do not have any true Decipiens in the garden.  I had one in a 10 gallon pot but it died before I found a home for it in the ground.  As you mentioned, I do have the Blue Decipiens and I also have a Decipiens hybrid.  In my opinion that is one big Chrysalidocarpus / Dypsis that looks better in a drier climate like Southern California.  I'm not sure I've seen many here in Hawaii that impress me when I see them. 

Thanks for the reply Jason. Yeah I was thinking they would grow similar to Bo's old garden where he had a huge plantings of decipiens and of course I was astonished that they would grow in just damp climates. 

Regardless, if we are taking score, that would be one for us for socal and 500+ for you in Hilo. LoL. 

Could you post pics of your blue decipiens when it's convenient. I love seeing that species. 

Cheers

[Hilo Jason]

18 hours ago, tinman10101 said:

Thanks for the reply Jason. Yeah I was thinking they would grow similar to Bo's old garden where he had a huge plantings of decipiens and of course I was astonished that they would grow in just damp climates. 

Regardless, if we are taking score, that would be one for us for socal and 500+ for you in Hilo. LoL. 

Could you post pics of your blue decipiens when it's convenient. I love seeing that species. 

Cheers

You guys get a few more points in California for Rhopalostylis, Ceroxylon, Hesyscepe, etc.  hah! 
 

Here’s my Blue Decipiens. Still a ways off from trunking when they seem to speed up. I’m guessing this one is 8-9 feet tall from ground to tip of newest leaf. 
 

 

[iDesign]

21 hours ago, Hilo Jason said:

You guys get a few more points in California for Rhopalostylis, Ceroxylon, Hesyscepe, etc.  hah! 
 

Here’s my Blue Decipiens. Still a ways off from trunking when they seem to speed up. I’m guessing this one is 8-9 feet tall from ground to tip of newest leaf. 
 

 

Is this the one nicknamed “butt ugly betafaka”? Looks like it to me, but I’m not sure.

And if so, any guess on the amount of sun it likes, with the understanding it would be CA sun? Mine is currently in a pot in shade, but I’m toying with the idea of planting it in full sun (after transitioning it for a while). I seem to recall that blue palms often handle the sun well. Any thoughts on sun for that one? Yours is looking awesome!

[Than]

On 1/3/2026 at 8:44 PM, Hilo Jason said:

Nice to have a palm that is a slower grower here as most are too fast!

Rub it on Jason! Some of us wonder if we will live long enough to see any trunks in the garden 😅

[Hilo Jason]

15 hours ago, iDesign said:

Is this the one nicknamed “butt ugly betafaka”? Looks like it to me, but I’m not sure.

And if so, any guess on the amount of sun it likes, with the understanding it would be CA sun? Mine is currently in a pot in shade, but I’m toying with the idea of planting it in full sun (after transitioning it for a while). I seem to recall that blue palms often handle the sun well. Any thoughts on sun for that one? Yours is looking awesome!

Yeah, that’s the one. I would say full sun. It has thick leaflets that can handle the sun well. 

[happypalms]

And I thought I had a garden, absolutely beautiful stuff, I will say it again lucky Hawaii growers! 

[Jdash]

the 6th to last picture on page 5, the baby red stems?

 

[Hilo Jason]

16 hours ago, Jdash said:

the 6th to last picture on page 5, the baby red stems?

 

That one is Chrysalidocarpus Lafazamanga 

[Hilo Jason]

A few more new plantings went in recently with hopes that the rains would finally show up. And looks like they have. It’s raining now as I post this and looks like some good rain is coming this weekend finally. We’ve been off to a dry start for the year so far here in Hawaii so this is a welcome relief. 

Up first is one I am very happy about - Chrysalidocarpus Ifanadianae.  I lost my trunking one of these this past year and didn’t think I’d be able to find a replacement.  Jeff and Suchin at floribunda found me the last one they had there, in a 5 gallon pot.  
 

in the ground, close to where the original one was planted:

up next was Dictyosperma Album Var. Aureum:

 

[Hilo Jason]

I have a Chrysalidocarpus Leptocheillos hybrid that was just never real happy and it was in a prime spot. So I decided to dig it up and move it to a more sheltered area in my Madagascar planter. I replaced it with a Chrysalidocarpus Prestonianus hybrid that was recently made available on the Floribunda price list. These are fast palms and will quickly fill in this area:

 

And here’s the Leptocheillos hybrid in its new spot. Fingers crossed it survives the move:

[Hilo Jason]

From left to right:

Hyophorbe Vaughanii, Basselinia Pancheri and Chrysalidocarpus Arenarum 

 

in the ground (in the same order as above):

And last but not least is a small Pseudophoenix Sargentii. This is a full sun location next to the house so I’m looking forward to seeing this grow. 

thanks for looking

[happypalms]

19 minutes ago, Hilo Jason said:

From left to right:

Hyophorbe Vaughanii, Basselinia Pancheri and Chrysalidocarpus Arenarum 

 

in the ground (in the same order as above):

And last but not least is a small Pseudophoenix Sargentii. This is a full sun location next to the house so I’m looking forward to seeing this grow. 

thanks for looking

Would Cerotazamia and Zamias grow well for you, such a beautiful garden deserves a bit more eye candy? 

[tim_brissy_13]

5 hours ago, Hilo Jason said:

From left to right:

Hyophorbe Vaughanii, Basselinia Pancheri and Chrysalidocarpus Arenarum 

 

in the ground (in the same order as above):

And last but not least is a small Pseudophoenix Sargentii. This is a full sun location next to the house so I’m looking forward to seeing this grow. 

thanks for looking

Hyophorbe vaughanii wow! Already a looker at that size. 

[Hilo Jason]

On 2/5/2026 at 5:56 PM, happypalms said:

Would Cerotazamia and Zamias grow well for you, such a beautiful garden deserves a bit more eye candy? 

As I get more canopy I begin introducing companion plants. The garden is still very young so the focus for now is on palms. 

[Hilo Jason]

On 2/5/2026 at 11:31 PM, tim_brissy_13 said:

Hyophorbe vaughanii wow! Already a looker at that size. 

Yes, I am very fortunate to be growing this palm!  I’m curious to see how it does in full sun since I’ve only seen them in deep shade at Floribunda. But I was thinking that since all of the other Hyophorbe do well in sun, this one should too.  
 

Here’s another picture. Some nice dark coloring on the petioles and leaf bases.  But like all young plants here, the rose beetles start chewing holes in the leaflets.  

[happypalms]

7 hours ago, Hilo Jason said:

As I get more canopy I begin introducing companion plants. The garden is still very young so the focus for now is on palms. 

Once the canopy is up there that’s when the fun begins, good to see a man with his priorities in the right order, palms first👍