Slow Palm at Age 10

[Kim]

Three Dypsis hovomantsina were purchased in April 2011 from Floribunda as 4-inch pots. Potted up to 1-gallon, they eventually went in the ground in July 2014. Now, June 2021, they are getting some size. 
 

The brilliant white under the dropped frond really caught my attention. 

Is this a typical growth rate for you? Please share your hovomantsina stories. 

[BS Man about Palms]

I think your purchase date is off.... but at 10 years, I think that is more Hawaii growth than "rest of the world" Looking great!!

[Kim]

9 hours ago, BS Man about Palms said:

I think your purchase date is off.... but at 10 years, I think that is more Hawaii growth than "rest of the world" Looking great!!

Haha, yes, big fat-finger typo.   I will correct it from 2021 to 2011! 

Are you growing this one, Bill?

[realarch]

Hey Kim, thanks for the post. Mine was also planted back in 2011, but as a 1 gal. It seems to be taking it’s sweet time, slowly lurking in the shadows, always visible in the corner of ones eye.

The ones I saw in Madagascar weren’t nearly as chubby as I recall. Holds it’s fronds, what seems, forever. 

Here are a few photos with my trusty shovel model for scale.

Tim 

[Tracy]

17 minutes ago, realarch said:

Here are a few photos with my trusty shovel model for scale.

Tim 

 

Those are chunky monkeys, both yours and Kims.  It sounds like they like your growing conditions even better than in habitat if they are thicker than the ones you saw in habitat in Madagascar.  I'll be curious to see if Bill aka BS Man about Palms  or anyone else here in So Cal is growing this  (MattyB, Matt P, Josh or Len maybe?).  I know I recall seeing that some people had brought some into this market several years back, most likely from Floribunda.

[BS Man about Palms]

On 6/14/2021 at 8:44 AM, Kim said:

Haha, yes, big fat-finger typo.   I will correct it from 2021 to 2011! 

Are you growing this one, Bill?

I had one that had got to putting out 30" leaves.. doing great.. and one that I think went out of the ground to come up and mow it down! 

[John hovancsek]

I just put a double hovo in about a month or so ago. It is still a bit sun burn but should grow out of it eventually 

[mike in kurtistown]

My two (east Hawaii Island) are more in John's class. Purchased from Floribunda as little "rosettes", into the ground (full sun) in September 2018. Growth is notable, but not really rapid. Scale from 8 x 8 x 16 cinder blocks and from clippers.

This one is growing as a double, but one is very dominant.

The other one:

 

 

[realarch]

Thought I’d add an update to this thread with some recent photos. 

Looking at the growth rate of Kim’s, Bill’s, and others…….my lord mine is slow to trunk. It just lurks in the side yard and I’m thinking it may not get enough sun. Anyway, it’s a chunk and getting fatter all of the time. The leaf sheaths are swollen, fat, heavy, and support very long fronds. 

A couple of snaps from yesterday. 

Tim