Dypsis ambositrae

Geoff Stein - Author & Editor

Pronunciation: DIP-siss am-bow-SEE-tray


Common Name: none

Dypsis ambositrae is a beautiful Madagascan species with a pure white crownshaft, an attractively ringed trunk, a pinkish to deep red new rachis and long, deep green arching, V'd leaves. This may not match the description of many palms in California identified as such, as for nearly 10 years, what now is Dypsis plumosa was being sold and grown as this species. The REAL Dypsis ambositrae is a far more attractive and impressive palm, so it is good to have that misidentification worked out. So far many Californians have had excellent success growing this palm and maturing trees are in many collections at this time.

Appearance and Biology
  • Habit: solitary usually, but some clustering (2-3 trunks) is not unusual, and some dichotomous branching is seen as well, all with a crown of 8-14 feather leaves
  • Height: 18' estimated
  • Trunk: single or multiple; 5" thick; prominently and fairly closely ringed; glaucous blue-green
  • Crownshaft: 18" tall; pure white powdery patina over a dull green base; base of crownshaft same diameter as trunk or slightly wider and only tapers barely to leaf bases
  • Spread: 8'-9'+
  • Leaf Description: pinnate; recurved sharply; leaflets upright forming a narrow 'V'; leaflets droop slightly near tips consistently at the same point giving the leaves a marvelous symmetry; 6' long; bright to deep green- dark green to lime green in younger palms
  • Petiole/Leaf bases: start out pink to bright or deep red in color; some fuzz on new petioles; 6"-12" in young palms, but shrinks to nearly 1"-2" in mature palms; leaf bases dull greenish and abruptly fading to white as they form the crownshaft
  • Reproduction: monoecious
  • Inflorescence: 2'-3'; arising from within the crown (above the crownshaft); highly branched
  • Fruit: very rare in both cultivation and wild plants, though obviously fruit exists- no written published description found
Horticultural Characteristics
  • Minimum Temp: 27F
  • Drought Tolerance: moderate
  • Dry Heat Tolerance: low to moderate
  • Wind Tolerance: moderate
  • Salt Tolerance: unknown
  • Growth Rate: slow to moderate with age
  • Soil Preference: adaptable
  • Light Requirement: partial to full sun
  • Human Hazards: none
  • Disease or Horticultural Problems: none
  • Transplants?: unknown
  • Indoor?: unknown
  • Availability: rare, but seems to be more common that it was just a few years ago


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