Dypsis lastelliana Information
A solitary, large, water-loving, moderately slow growing, monoecious, orange coloured crownshaft palm. Common in cultivation, locally common in the wild. It has a rough, brown trunk, 20 m. (65 ft.) tall, 38 cm. (15 inch) diameter with spaced ring leaf scars, and huge segmented, pinnate (feather) leaves, 3 m. (10 ft.) long, 0.9 m. (3 ft.) wide, dark green above and beneath.
Dypsis lastelliana naturally occurs near streams in valley bottoms, which are often at reasonable altitude. Therefore one would assume this palm would tolerate freezing conditions. However, valley bottoms are very sheltered and nearby water can artificially raise the air temperature. Freezing temperatures will kill this palm. But this palm tolerates a constantly cool or mild climate with little temperature difference between day & night, and Summer & Winter. Under extreme cold conditions we recommend you keep this palm as dry as possible, and well wrapped up.
General Information:
Often confused with Dypsis leptocheilos.
Distribution:
Native to, Madagascar
Moist lowland forest on slopes, often rather open or near forest margins, or near water, in ravines, also in coastal forest on white sand.
Location: North Madagascar (-14.001768°N, 48.076172°E)