Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) decipiens

Manambe palm
Hardiest crownshaft palm. Plumose leaves of tough, leathery texture top smooth, bulbous, bottle-shaped trunks.
height 12–20ft
width 10–15ft
tolerates Cold, Drought, Wind
water
needs		 Low – 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		 22F
exposure Full Sun
indoor
outdoor		 Outdoor
origin Madagascar
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 9, 13–24

Sunset Zones Map

Outdoor Exposure Guide

Growing Notes

Palms are generally heavy feeders, so if you want them growing quickly and looking their best, they 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 if you see yellowing leaves or yellow spots on the leaves. Be sure your palm fertilizer contains micronutrients, particularly magnesium.
This solitary palm will grow only one trunk during its lifetime. If you have a pot with multiple trunks in it, that’s because multiple separate palm trees were germinated in the pot. The good news is that you won’t need to thin out suckers over time to maintain the number of trunks you started out with.
Once it’s mature, this palm will naturally shed its leaves, leaving the trunk below the palm’s crown exposed. 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 plumose leaves (leaflets leave the rachis in multiple planes) give it a soft plumed look.

Special Interest

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, or monsteras.