Dypsis robusta showing promise

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

I took a dypsis robusta from a heated greenhouse and planted it in our early cool March weather in full sun. Diurnal temps are running from 41F as high as 92F but generally mid 40's night to mid 70's days.

The result: the thing had grown full speed pushing out a new spear which now opened. Could this be a cool tolerant dypsis that also can handle some dry conditions? I've taken a few things from hot greenhouses and the expected response is some setback. Seems like this is not the case here. This is one of my coin tosses that might pan out.

Anyone else try out d. Robusta?

[richnorm]

When you take a plant out of a hot house the growth rate continues for a while....

[redant]

Well far from the same climate but I just planted a 1gal in mixed sun/shade in the beginning of March, then had the coldest March on record. It's pushing a new frond and looks great. I think this might be a good palm for S FL.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

When you take a plant out of a hot house the growth rate continues for a while....

Apparently the other stuff coming out of the hot house was never told this and a lot of it has shut down. But not this guy.

[LJG]

When you take a plant out of a hot house the growth rate continues for a while....

Apparently the other stuff coming out of the hot house was never told this and a lot of it has shut down. But not this guy.

Well, that confirms it. You have yourself a "cool tolerant dypsis" now.

[richnorm]

When you take a plant out of a hot house the growth rate continues for a while....

Apparently the other stuff coming out of the hot house was never told this and a lot of it has shut down. But not this guy.

Then why ask, you obviously know everything already?

[Gtlevine]

Ive had one in the ground since last July and went through the winter no problem. But to be cold tolerant a plant must go through several winters and show robust steady growth. Sometimes a healthy palm will make it through a couple winters then drop dead. The cold can have a cumalative effect over several winters. So robusta has a long way to go to see if its worthy.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

When you take a plant out of a hot house the growth rate continues for a while....

Apparently the other stuff coming out of the hot house was never told this and a lot of it has shut down. But not this guy.

Well, that confirms it. You have yourself a "cool tolerant dypsis" now.

I was wondering how long it would take before you would show up. My palmtalk experience just wouldn't be the same without you.

[Tassie_Troy1971]

My Dypsis robusta is doing just fine !

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

Ive had one in the ground since last July and went through the winter no problem. But to be cold tolerant a plant must go through several winters and show robust steady growth. Sometimes a healthy palm will make it through a couple winters then drop dead. The cold can have a cumalative effect over several winters. So robusta has a long way to go to see if its worthy.

Yes, I agree, although I was mostly concerned with growth with cool highland type conditions, not so much cold winter tolerance. I am always looking for the stuff that can grow in the 40-65F range as it brings a new possible candidate to the frost free climates of Central and Northern California.

If I can't get growth in that range then the palm would be a non starter no matter how cold hardy it would be. I'll post pictures later of the dypsis plumosa which doesn't seem to like the cool conditions at all. That one went out even a little later and it's miserable looking.

Darold found out dypsis baronii grows in the 40-60F range but dypsis onilahensis is a no go. So it's worth trying these things out. Cold hardiness is an entiry different matter.

[Stevetoad]

I have one that I popped in the ground finally late winter. It shows no damage from cold so far but sun damage happened within about a month under 50% shade cloth. From what I've heard from much more experienced growers than me is that its one of the harder big dypsis to grow in SoCal. Ill give it atleast a full year to see if it makes the cut. If not it will be replaced.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

I have one that I popped in the ground finally late winter. It shows no damage from cold so far but sun damage happened within about a month under 50% shade cloth. From what I've heard from much more experienced growers than me is that its one of the harder big dypsis to grow in SoCal. Ill give it atleast a full year to see if it makes the cut. If not it will be replaced.

I fully expect mine to croak, I was thinking it would most likely shrivel up from the greenhouse to cool spring conditions but nope. Rich may be right and the current growth is just greenhouse momentum. Either way, I don't expect this thing will last past thanksgiving up here and I am already growing something else for its replacement.

But I thought it would be fun to share this observation even though it irritates Len.

[SanDimas]

Hello guys. I bought one of these from Floribunda last Nov2012 as a gallon along with D. carlsmithii & decipiens & pembana. The four were stellar performers outdoors all winter. Both pushing spears and always green. Frost warning and temps in mid 40s taken indoors or under patio Roof. I found decipiens a bit slower growth of the three. Unfortunately my D. pulilufera and tokoravina perished as 4inch pot seedling. Otherwise Impressive growth overall. Allen except the decipiens I have planted in ground already.

Cheers. Ritchy

[JEFF IN MODESTO]

I bought 2 of these guys from floribunda and promptly planted them in my nearly freeze free side yard. Neither made it through the winter. It appears our 48f soil temps did them in, though I may try it again sometime.

[cobra2326]

I bought 2 of these guys from floribunda and promptly planted them in my nearly freeze free side yard. Neither made it through the winter. It appears our 48f soil temps did them in, though I may try it again sometime.

After MANY orders that came out of Hawaii growing FAST, only to slow down and eventually die, I'm learning that you really need to ease things into a different environment. Unless you have tropical conditions, I'd recommend keeping things in a controlled environment and slowly easing them into yours. Remember, temps are usually only swinging 10-15F on any given day in Hawaii, and 25F is about as far as they swing in an entire year (62F low - 88F high is the basic range in higher altitude Hilo). I'm starting to have better luck by controlling temp and humidity at first.

[quaman58]

A lot of the larger Dypsis are very difficult for me to grow. Starting out with seedlings is just about impossible, given all the years that are required to get them out of the tender stage. Prestoniana & decipiens are the exceptions, & I am working on some robusta that I have not killed yet. Have one in the ground; we'll see how long that lasts.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

I bought 2 of these guys from floribunda and promptly planted them in my nearly freeze free side yard. Neither made it through the winter. It appears our 48f soil temps did them in, though I may try it again sometime.

After MANY orders that came out of Hawaii growing FAST, only to slow down and eventually die, I'm learning that you really need to ease things into a different environment. Unless you have tropical conditions, I'd recommend keeping things in a controlled environment and slowly easing them into yours. Remember, temps are usually only swinging 10-15F on any given day in Hawaii, and 25F is about as far as they swing in an entire year (62F low - 88F high is the basic range in higher altitude Hilo). I'm starting to have better luck by controlling temp and humidity at first.

I bought mine from Perry at SLO Palms down the coast from me. He kept it in his greenhouse which was heated at night, but it still got in the 30's in there. it's not a tiny seedling, but in a tall 2g. So it's not fresh from Hawaii. I still don't expect it will make it, that's why I originally posted this, I was sure it would just croak. But it kept on going. It will probably do what everyone else's did - grow, until it realizes, "oh crap, it's freezing here, man, I'm outa here!".

In contrast, no such luck with dypsis plumosa, take a look at this thing coming out of the greenhouse. It's shriveling up and dying. Several Norcal members have shared with me how their declined in cool growing as well, not even just Winter but Spring or Fall coolness.

Bottom line is this: I don't claim dypsis robusta has any real cold tolerance, as in handling continuous exposure to 30-40F, as Jeff's example may suggest, I've seen his almost frost free "alley" that used to have a growing lychee in it. But based on the various reports, it seems to show decent growth rate in the 40-60F range, which makes it a candidate for Central California gardens provided it could handle the tougher 30-40F range. I have a lot of things that decline when exposed to 30-40F continuously, my cherimoyas don't like it and get all sorts of spots on the leaves. But it doesn't kill them. There are things that do get killed in that range, I hope dypsis robusta isn't one of them.

[Gtlevine]

Alex, Santa Cruz is probably not the place to grow Robusta, but if you want a legitimate chance then you should put it back in the greenhouse and grow it up to at least a well rooted 15 gallon. Even here in Southern California, some plants that will grow here won't survive as seedlings. You want to plant as small as possible, but if your in a borderline area the bigger the palm the better the chance of making it.

[Mauna Kea Cloudforest]

Alex, Santa Cruz is probably not the place to grow Robusta, but if you want a legitimate chance then you should put it back in the greenhouse and grow it up to at least a well rooted 15 gallon. Even here in Southern California, some plants that will grow here won't survive as seedlings. You want to plant as small as possible, but if your in a borderline area the bigger the palm the better the chance of making it.

You are probably right. But I should elaborate on my planting philosophy, which is probably in line with Jonathan's. None of my plants get babied here, I don't like to waste my time with marginal plants. I am willing to throw things in the ground to give them a go because sometimes, you can get pleasantly surprised. But If it's not meant to grow, then let it croak. This robusta wasn't planted as a seedling, but it's definitely not a 15g plant either. I threw a prichardia hildebrandii in the ground years ago and thought it would croak the first year too. It's still strong and ticking and getting bigger all the time. I doubt this robusta will work, but what the heck, let's see. The garden here is in the thermal belts a little further inland, so not quite Santa Cruz, that ought to give it a better chance to go.

[richnorm]

A lot of the larger Dypsis are very difficult for me to grow. Starting out with seedlings is just about impossible, given all the years that are required to get them out of the tender stage. Prestoniana & decipiens are the exceptions, & I am working on some robusta that I have not killed yet. Have one in the ground; we'll see how long that lasts.

Bret. Dypsis oropedionis might be a good choice of large Dypsis for you. Needs less heat than prestoniana imo.

cheers

Richard