Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) ambositrae

Five inch-thick trunk often doubles, rarely triples. Pale, waxy, grey-green crown-shaft below gracefully recurved leaves. New growth is pink to red tinted. Very rare.
height 10–20ft
width 8–10ft
tolerates Cool Summers, Pots
water
needs		 Moderate
water
info		 This palm should be watered deeply every week or two once it’s established. It doesn’t want to ever dry out completely.
hardy
to		 28F
exposure Part Sun – Full Sun
indoor
outdoor		 Outdoor
drainage In Ground: Cactus Mix, In Pots: Cactus Mix, Tolerates Sandy Soil
fertilizing Palm Fertilizer
origin Madagascar
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 16, 17, 19–24, H2

Sunset Zones Map

Outdoor Exposure Guide

OUTDOOR EXPOSURE GUIDE

Full Sun
Six or more hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Shade
Three to five hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Sun
One to two hours of sun beams directly landing on the plants leaves.

Full Shade
The plant is never fully lit by sun beams, but is in a bright spot or has dappled sunbeams playing over the leaves throughout the day.

Deep Shade
The plant never has dappled light on the leaves, and is in a place that feels dim, even on a nice sunny day.

SUNSET ZONES MAP

Growing Notes

This is a slow growing palm, best thought of as a foliage feature for many years. As such, be sure to fertilize it to keep it on track. It should be fertilized at least three times a year. Fertilizing at spring equinox, summer solstice and fall equinox will allow for a winter rest. Be sure to feed your palm with a fertilizer that contains micronutrients (especially including magnesium), especially if you see yellowing leaves or yellow spots on the leaves.
Once it’s mature, this palm will naturally shed its leaves (they will come off with a light tug once dry, or blow off in windstorms), leaving a thin green ringed trunk below the palm’s crown. A great choice if you’re looking for a palm with a clean trunk, but don’t want to deal with manually removing the leaves.
This palm’s juicy lush look is an absolute must-have when creating a tropical garden in a temperate climate. Mix it with other broad-leafed flowering plants like cannas, hedychiums, philodendrons.
This palm does not tolerate low humidity of inland desert areas and will get tipped leaves, especially in a hot sunny or windy spot.

Special Interest

Critically endangered with only ten plants known of in the wild. Likely to go extinct soon, due to land clearing for agriculture in its native Madagascar.

The species name - ambositrae - was given to this plant as it grows nearby the city of ambowitrae in Madagascar.