Chrysalidocarpus carlsmithii

Chrysalidocarpus carlsmithii is a massive, single-trunked feather palm from Madagascar. A stout, closely ringed trunk up to half a metre thick carries a crownshaft tinged orange to reddish brown and a crown of long, arching leaves with about 90 evenly spaced leaflets on each side.

It has an unusual story: it was named in 2002 from a single garden tree in Hilo, Hawaii, long distributed to collectors as 'Stumpy', and only later traced to two tiny lowland populations in eastern Madagascar.

Formerly known as Dypsis carlsmithii.

At a glance

• Native range: eastern Madagascar
• Mature size: 6–12 m
• Growth rate: slow, which keeps the leaf scars on the trunk closely spaced
• Light: partial to full sun
• Cold hardiness: short frosts to about −2 °C
• Indoors / outdoors: an outdoor palm for mild, near frost-free gardens

Care

Grow it in partial to full sun in a warm, sheltered garden. In central Florida even young plants without a trunk have come through freezes without trouble, but it is best kept from all but the lightest frosts.

Why Palmpedia: Every plant is grown in our greenhouse in Almeirim, Portugal, and leaves us in a 15 L to 35 L pot.