Chrysalidocarpus (Dypsis) onilahensis

onilahy palm
Elegant, clean-looking weepy feather palm makes open clump of powder blue ringed stems. Perfect size for home gardens. Neater bamboo proxy.
synonyms Chrysalidocarpus onilahensis
height 12–25
width 10–15ft
tolerates Heat, Wind
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. While palms generally prefer good drainage, this palm is quite adaptable to heavy soil. Your watering schedule will depend on how quickly the soil drains, with heavier soil needing less frequent irrigation.
hardy
to		 26F
exposure Part Shade – Full Sun
indoor
outdoor		 Outdoor
drainage In Ground: Cactus Mix, In Pots: Cactus Mix, Tolerates Heavy Soil, Tolerates Sandy Soil
fertilizing Palm Fertilizer
origin Madagascar
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 16, 17, 21–24

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.
The suckering on this palm is variable, with even occasional single trunked palms, so if you’d like one with many trunks be sure to pick out one with suckers in the nursery can. Suckering palms like this one send out additional palm trunks from the base of the palm over time, so that you’ll end up with multiple trunks on one palm. If you want fewer trunks, go ahead and thin out the suckers; just be sure to do it when they are young to avoid unsightly scarring later on.
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.
With leaves growing in a single plane along most of the rachis, the feather palm has an elegant look to it especially in this weeping form.

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 to complete the look.