White Triangle vs. TriBear: Two Rare Hybrid Palms Growing Side by Side
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This short video shows two of the hybrids we're proudest of growing side by side: a White Triangle clump and a TriBear. They share a parent, the Triangle Palm (Chrysalidocarpus decaryi), but each brings something different to the garden.
White Triangle (C. cabadae x decaryi)
The White Triangle comes from the Cabada Palm as the seed parent and the Triangle Palm as the pollen parent. It is one of the hardest hybrids we make: through manual cross-pollination we typically get about one sellable plant for every 10,000–15,000 flowers pollinated. Only a few dozen are thought to be in cultivation worldwide, in parks in Australia, private gardens in Southern California and botanical gardens in Thailand and Australia.
- Sun: full sun to shade
- Growth: moderate when young, fast once trunking
- Cold tolerance: USDA Zones 9b–11, likely a few degrees hardier than a pure Cabada Palm
TriBear (C. leptocheilos x decaryi)
The TriBear is the hybrid that started our obsession with palm hybrids. Seabreeze Nurseries made the first documented, intentional TriBear cross in 2010–2011, and in 2025 it was formally named Chrysalidocarpus × leptocaryi in PalmArbor by Donald R. Hodel, Justen B. Dobbs and Robert H. Burtscher.
It pairs the beauty of the Teddy Bear Palm (white waxy trunk, reddish fuzzy leaf bases) with the drought tolerance of the Triangle Palm, and it grows faster than either parent. PalmArbor reports it takes heat to about 113°F and brief overnight dips to about 28°F with little or no damage.
- Sun: full sun, or light afternoon shade in the hottest, driest spots
- Growth: slow to moderate as a seedling, fast once about 2 feet tall
- Cold tolerance: USDA Zones 9b–11
Which one is right for you?
If you want a rare, white-crowned clump that handles anything from full sun to shade, the White Triangle is the collector's pick. If you want a proven, fast hybrid with a fuzzy red crown and good drought tolerance, start with the TriBear. Both are hand-pollinated and grown by us.