SCIENTIFIC NAME: Dypsis cabadae

COMMON NAME(S): Cabada palm
SUB FAMILY: Arecoideae
TRIBE: Areceae
ORIGIN: Probably Madagascar (known only from cultivation)
HARDINESS ZONES: 10B-11 (damaged but recovered at 24 degrees F)
TYPICAL MAXIMUM HEIGHT: 30'
GROWTH RATE: Moderate
HABIT: Clustering, each stem with 6-10 leaves
SALT TOLERANCE: Moderate
DROUGHT TOLERANCE: High
SOIL REQUIREMENTS: Widely adaptable
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: Moderate; high
NUTRITION REQUIREMENTS: Moderate
POPULAR USES: Multi-trunked specimen tree; large shrub
HUMAN HAZARDS: None
POPULAR OR RECOMMENDED CULTIVARS:

COMMENTS: Formerly known as Chrysalidocarpus cabadae, this elegant clustering palm grows larger and slightly more slowly than its relative, the areca (D. lutescens). The cabada palm makes a striking architectural accent in the landscape, with its smooth, boldly-ringed green trunks. The cabada palm may be slow to cluster; several specimens can be planted close together to create a fuller effect. Young plants frequently have reddish-brown petioles and leaf sheaths; this fades with age. The cabada palm is very effective in courtyard settings or other close spaces where its eye-catching trunk can be shown to advantage. Though presumed to be native to Madagascar, the cabada palm was described from a plant in a Cuban garden and has not yet been encountered in the wild.