Palms For California

Pronunciation: DIP-siss pee-loo-LIFF-er-uh/pil-oo-lih-FURR-uh

Common Name: Jurrasic Park Palm

Dypsis pilulifera is a large ornamental species that was named for a while there by Jeff Marcus of Floribunda Palms as 'Jurrasic Park', due to its large size. It is a palm that also, until recently, was identified as 'Orange Crush'. However John Dransfield recently ended that mistaken identity, noting that Dypsis pilulifera does not only NOT have an orange crownshaft normally, but it is a plumose species (which 'Orange Crush' is not). For a while the Jurassic Park palms were being pushed into Dypsis robusta, but they did not look like those, either. And now we have a real name for them. And, now we know this is also a rare palm for California- no mature palms yet by a long shot.

Synonyms: Chrysalidocarpus piluliferus; Chrysalidocarpus paucifolius; Dypsis tokoravina

Appearance and Biology Habit: solitary with a crown of 4-8 feather leaves Height: 20' estimate Trunk: single; 12" thick; prominently ringed; bright to medium green Crownshaft: 2' tall; pale; sometimes incomplete Spread: 15'-18' Leaf Description: pinnate; plumose; leaves upright to nearly 45 degrees (rarely more lateral than that); deep green; 10'-15' long Petiole/Leaf bases: very short; tapering rapidly to narrow rachis; unarmed; un-split Reproduction: monoecious Inflorescence: from below crownshaft Fruit: spherical

Horticultural Characteristics Minimum Temp: 32F Drought Tolerance: low Dry Heat Tolerance: moderate Cool Tolerance: low Wind Tolerance: low Salt Tolerance: unknown Growth Rate: slow to moderate with age Soil Preference: adaptable Light Requirement: partial sun Human Hazards: none known Disease or Horticultural Problems: none known Transplants?: unknown Indoor?: unknown Availability: rare