Dypsis Species, Lucuba Palm, Malagasy Palm, Mahajanga

This palm is named after its discovery in the Mahajanga area of the NE coastal plain of Madagascar. As mentioned, it has many affinities ...Read Moreto D. madagascariensis, and many nurseries sell it as a variety of madagascariensis. It is nice looking nonetheless, although its growth rate is nothing to boast about.

I've got a nice speciman with 2' + clear trunk growing in a 20 gallon tub. Does well on the coast of San Diego and holds only 3 to 4 fron...Read Moreds at any given time. A close relative to the Dypsis Madagascarensis and very similar with recurved leaflets and a nice white crownshaft. The trunk is green at the top but turns a dark brown toward the bottom as it ages. It is both solitary or clumping depending on each individual. My tree has a solitary trunk with widely spaced, stepped rings of leaf scars and a slightly swollen base. I promise to post a picture soon!!

There are three specimens of this palm in Soutehrn CAifornia with 20 - 30 feet of clear trunk and 8 foot leaves.

This is a commonly sold plant to palm specialists here in So Cal, sold under a variety of monikers, but all perform poorly unless you hap...Read Morepen to live in a good microclimate or in San Diego/Orange County, where some have grown it to maturity (over fifty feet tall). It is a very tough grow for me, and I have had no success with it. Those that have still struggle to make it look good. It's a great plant for tropical areas. There are avenues in Singapore lined for literally miles with this tree. There is a suckering form, and a single trunk form (referred to as 'lucubensis'). The leaves basicall grow in ranks of three (tristichous), sort of like a triangle palm, and the trunk is attractively ringed. Native of Madagascar.