Chambeyronia Identifying

[Jim in Los Altos]

Of the several Chambeyronia in the garden, this one originally identified as C. macrocarpa has the yellowish trunk of a hookeri and nearly black petioles. Is this unusual or have any of you seen this characteristic before? 
 

[happypalms]

I have quite a few Chambeyronia seedlings and mature plants, out of about 600 seedlings there are three that are totally different in leaf colour and shape a very noticeable difference in the 3 seedlings. I also had one watermelon plant from another batch seedlings as well, it may be due a mixed lot of seeds or they just throw out some different genetic drift waning in and out. But by all means iam no expert on Chambeyronia! Just an observation. 

[quaman58]

Not sure Jim, but it’s a real beauty, no matter!

[realarch]

Hey Jim, I thought there was an earlier discussion on PT about C, houailou having dark green, almost brownish petioles as opposed to the medium green of C. hookeri. Been awhile, but a one filament light bulb went off. 😳

Tim

[Billeb]

8 hours ago, Jim in Los Altos said:

Of the several Chambeyronia in the garden, this one originally identified as C. macrocarpa has the yellowish trunk of a hookeri and nearly black petioles. Is this unusual or have any of you seen this characteristic before? 
 

Nah, I don’t think that’s Macro. The coloring of the trunk looks way more on the Hookeri side than anything.  Although it is more lime green than yellow. 
 

Most Hookeri I’ve seen around to include my own definitely have brown petioles. Yours does look to be more of a black hue than brown which is super cool. Never seen that before. 
 

Im wondering if this trait is simply sun exposure, fertilizer application or something weird like that and temporary? Has it always been like that? Everything besides the unique colors looks to be dead on Chambeyronia tho so it’s not likely a hybrid. The only palm I’ve seen in person with black in it is Cyphosperma Balansae. 

Here’s my two Hookeri planted side by side and 3yrs apart in growth. Little guy has more brown petioles than the large one  

-dale 

[Jim in Los Altos]

50 minutes ago, Billeb said:

Nah, I don’t think that’s Macro. The coloring of the trunk looks way more on the Hookeri side than anything.  Although it is more lime green than yellow. 
 

Most Hookeri I’ve seen around to include my own definitely have brown petioles. Yours does look to be more of a black hue than brown which is super cool. Never seen that before. 
 

Im wondering if this trait is simply sun exposure, fertilizer application or something weird like that and temporary? Has it always been like that? Everything besides the unique colors looks to be dead on Chambeyronia tho so it’s not likely a hybrid. The only palm I’ve seen in person with black in it is Cyphosperma Balansae. 

Here’s my two Hookeri planted side by side and 3yrs apart in growth. Little guy has more brown petioles than the large one  

-dale 

Very robust Dale. That’s a beauty! I have a very tall hookeri (about 9’ of ringed trunk) and its petioles are gray-green and has the typical lemon-lime trunk and crownshaft as well as three other juvenile hookeri with dark green petioles and yellow crown shafts. 

[tim_brissy_13]

Looks typical of Chambeyronia macrocarpa var hookeri to me Jim. They often have dark petioles. Every other feature including that vivid red new frond matches. Great palm!

[Harry’s Palms]

Now you have me curious . I just sowed a few seeds from a HUGE Hookeri at the Sullivan’s place . I was amazed at the size of the palm , well overhead , at least 8-10 feet of trunk . Now way too tall reach the seeds(fruit) but I found some large seeds around the base that were fresh. Some of the nicest Chambeyronia I have seen were down at @DoomsDave garden but the Hookeri at the Sullivan’s was like on steroids. I will cruise by sometime and look at the petiole’s next time I think about it. My Macrocarpa has a much darker crown shaft than your example so I would also agree yours is something else , maybe a genetic variation or species variation . All aside , a very attractive palm and , oh! , that red. To die for! Harry

[Jim in Los Altos]

1 hour ago, Harry’s Palms said:

Now you have me curious . I just sowed a few seeds from a HUGE Hookeri at the Sullivan’s place . I was amazed at the size of the palm , well overhead , at least 8-10 feet of trunk . Now way too tall reach the seeds(fruit) but I found some large seeds around the base that were fresh. Some of the nicest Chambeyronia I have seen were down at @DoomsDave garden but the Hookeri at the Sullivan’s was like on steroids. I will cruise by sometime and look at the petiole’s next time I think about it. My Macrocarpa has a much darker crown shaft than your example so I would also agree yours is something else , maybe a genetic variation or species variation . All aside , a very attractive palm and , oh! , that red. To die for! Harry

You can see a C. macrocarpa behind and to the right of the Chambeyronia with the red leaf and it’s trunk and crown shaft are very dark green as the typically are.  That one produces dark maroon new fronds. 
 

[realarch]

Yeah sheesh, all I needed to do was look out the window at my C. hookeri. Oh well, just keeping everybody on their toes. 😎

Tim

[Harry’s Palms]

3 hours ago, Jim in Los Altos said:

You can see a C. macrocarpa behind and to the right of the Chambeyronia with the red leaf and it’s trunk and crown shaft are very dark green as the typically are.  That one produces dark maroon new fronds. 
 

That is similar to my Macrocarpa , very dark green with only slight mottling and short petiole but huge fronds for the size of the palm. I like all Chambey’s but the blonde crown shaft and size of the Hookeri is special . I just can’t remember if any I’ve seen have those very dark petiole. I mean , those in your photo are near ebony , like black bamboo. Harry

[DoomsDave]

@Jim in Los Altos your ebony petioles rock! Obscenities loudly screamed in the Southland!

[Than]

No matter what it is it is probably the best looking Chambeyronia I've ever seen. Wow

[Tracy]

Dark petioles are consistent with the Chambeyronia hookeri that I have too.  Jim, perhaps yours is a little darker on its petioles but only s degree of difference.   Nice specimen that you have!

[Billeb]

On 11/24/2025 at 12:38 PM, Harry’s Palms said:

……..Some of the nicest Chambeyronia I have seen were down at @DoomsDave garden…

The small Hookeri in my above post was procured from @DoomsDave and an offspring. It’s grown great and does look different than the larger one procured from BlueBell Nursery. Super dark maroon leaf. Maybe just infancy traits. 
 

-dale 
 

[JD in the OC]

Hookeri at Fairchild that just flushed a new leaf.  Petioles are dark.  I think that's normal for most hookeri.

 

var. Flaviopicta (sp?) aka Watermelon that i found at a nursery on east coast...gonna buy it next time I'm there.  Hard to find one's with this much pattern on them..

[DoomsDave]

19 hours ago, Billeb said:

The small Hookeri in my above post was procured from @DoomsDave and an offspring. It’s grown great and does look different than the larger one procured from BlueBell Nursery. Super dark maroon leaf. Maybe just infancy traits. 
 

-dale 
 

Keep us apprised!

[happypalms]

Hers a nice bit of hookeri colour for you Jim!