Dypsis Basilonga

[JubaeaMan138]

So I got these guys from Kevin weaver as a palm he had tagged as something else but he told me he didn’t redo the tags after it was realized it was Basilonga . Either way they are slow but they are multiples kind of wondering if I should edit out a couple . And leave just one ? Thoughts appreciated 

[John hovancsek]

Sometimes they do good as doubles. Give it a chance and see what happens, keep us updated 

[Billeb]

Leave it. It’ll look sweet as a multi. 
 

-dale 

[realarch]

I second that, sometimes multiples end up looking great. 

Tim

[happypalms]

I have been told grouped plantings of three look good 👍 

[flplantguy]

I like to group mine for effect even if they are not clumpers. Some seem kind of dainty and get lost otherwise.

[Kim]

Bill Austin has a beautiful fat pair in Hawaii, a great look!

[JubaeaMan138]

Excellent looks like I’m leaving them . This is 3 in one planting hard to see the 3rd in the pictures 

[realarch]

These particular palms look great wether in a tight clump or a more open grouping. I first saw them as singles in a cluster, spectacular! For me, it’s my preference and duplicated the same planting in my garden. 

Tim

[JubaeaMan138]

Ok so now the next question ….. are they Basilonga ? They were tagged saintlucie . But was later identified by a well known palm guru as Basilonga . 🤔

[Tracy]

32 minutes ago, JubaeaMan138 said:

Ok so now the next question ….. are they Basilonga ? They were tagged saintlucie . But was later identified by a well known palm guru as Basilonga . 🤔

If they are Chrysalidocarpus saintlucei the emerging spear will be darker, while Chrysalidocarpus basilongus will have white..  Len shared this tip when mine were tiny..

Either species will be beautiful as they grow.  Unlike Bill Austin's or Tim's basilongus in Hawaii which have thick trunks,  expect a thinner trunk on the order of onilahensis when grown here in California.   Chrysalidocarpus saintlucei will be thicker in sun and narrower in shade in my experience.   Nice score either species.

[Tracy]

One is Chrysalidocarpus basilongus and the other two are saintlucei. It is what will become the petiole and rachis that you are examining for color differences. 

[JubaeaMan138]

1 minute ago, Tracy said:

One is Chrysalidocarpus basilongus and the other two are saintlucei. It is what will become the petiole and rachis that you are examining for color differences. 

You beat me to it . I was about to ask for some of your examples. Either way I agree both look excellent . Thank you @Tracy

[JubaeaMan138]

So about baseball diameter trunks ? 

[Tracy]

1 hour ago, JubaeaMan138 said:

So about baseball diameter trunks ? 

Chrysalidocarpus saintlucei and basilongus.  Skinny one is basilongus. 

[ellidro]

2 hours ago, JubaeaMan138 said:

Ok so now the next question ….. are they Basilonga ? They were tagged saintlucie . But was later identified by a well known palm guru as Basilonga . 🤔

These look like Saintlucei to me.

[DoomsDave]

@JubaeaMan138 as others have noted basilongas are skinny single-trunkers that I've found seem to like shade better than St. Luciei, and aren't as fussy about drainage.

I think your trio will look awesome eventually!

[realarch]

Interesting thread, since I have both of these growing in the garden. I snapped a couple of photos and tried to get decent images including ones of the new spear. I found no red coloration on either species. Both C. saintelucei and basilongus both have white emergent spears and petioles. Could be maturity I suppose. The red in the one photo is the emerging inflorescence. A grouping of three with a bit of cover and boat loads of moisture. 

First is C. basilongus.

 

[realarch]

Next up is C. saintelucei. This species is a bit more robust than C. basilongus, but much taller. Both are relatively thin and share very similar traits. Again, a grouping of three with similar conditions as C. basilongus. There is a 5 gal. bucket in the last shot for scale. 

Tim

[Tracy]

4 hours ago, realarch said:

Both C. saintelucei and basilongus both have white emergent spears and petioles. Could be maturity I suppose

Absolutely Tim.  In the photos of C saintelucei I posted, the one with more color on the emerging spear is the smaller of the two specimens.  I think if I could find the thread that included Len's advice to me on distinguishing between them with the stem color he even mentioned that it was a juvenile trait.  Beautiful specimens TIm!

[Billeb]

Both look awesome as multiples. As always, @realarch Tim’s examples are perfect. Basilonga is just so damn unique with that droopy lower leaf. 👌

-dale 

[realarch]

Tracy, Dale, thanks guys! It’s nice that when I post you have some context since you’ve seen the garden. I hope one of these days I’ll be able to say the same. 

Also, it’s nice when a topic comes up that makes me head outside to learn or verify something new that I did not know or notice before hand. Amazing how I can look at and miss some obvious and subtle ID markers. 

Tim

[JubaeaMan138]

Love the blackish petiole on these . Is that pretty normal Coloring ? 

[WaianaeCrider]

Took a better picture the other day.  It's been in the ground since March of last year under a bit of shade.  Now getting pretty much full sun after about 10 am.

 

[quaman58]

Basilonga has been a very tough plant for myself and others in my area. I think greenhouse growing then to real size might be the key. They seem to grow well in pots for a while, and then just stall when we put them in the ground. St Lucies may be slow, but they chug away year after year. But well grown basilongas are stunning palms 

[Billeb]

9 minutes ago, quaman58 said:

Basilonga has been a very tough plant for myself and others in my area. I think greenhouse growing then to real size might be the key. They seem to grow well in pots for a while, and then just stall when we put them in the ground. St Lucies may be slow, but they chug away year after year. But well grown basilongas are stunning palms 

This is true. I’m on #3. First one died due to the cold before I could ground it. The next is in the ground but super struggling. Got a 3rd in a pot. Gonna keep it there for quite awhile. 
 

-dale 

[WaianaeCrider]

1 hour ago, quaman58 said:

Basilonga has been a very tough plant for myself and others in my area. I think greenhouse growing then to real size might be the key. They seem to grow well in pots for a while, and then just stall when we put them in the ground. St Lucies may be slow, but they chug away year after year. But well grown basilongas are stunning palms 

My St Lucie growing nicely.  Went in the ground in June of 2021 from 1 gal pot.  My concern now is that it's gonna out grow the spot planted under my white shower tree in a few years.