Common Name:  Chrysalidocarpus cabadae x leptocheilos

Sun:  Shade to Filtered Sun or Half-Day Sun

Growth Rate:  Slow to Moderate

Fertilizer:  Medium

Water:  Medium

Cold Tolerance:  Estimated at 35degF

History:  This hybrid has popped up inadvertently around the world (mostly in Australia and Thailand) from random batches of Chrysalidocarpus cabadae seed that was open pollenated. The resulting hybrid is extremely colorful- with an emerald ringed trunk, fuzzy red crownshaft, and dark green leaves. It is one of the most rare and sought-after Chrysalidocarpus hybrids.

Production:  The seed parent (mom) is Chrysalidocarpus cabadae (Cabada Palm) and the pollen parent (dad) is Chrysalidocarpus leptocheilos (Teddy Bear Palm). With manual pollination, it takes about 2,000-3,000 pollenated female flowers to produce each viable seed. When viable seeds germinate, the seedlings are extremely small and susceptible to fungal or pest attack. Thus, they must be germinated in a sterile environment.

Benefits:  This hybrid has much more color than the standard Cabada Palm. It’s growth rate and cold hardiness are likely a bit better or the same as either of the parents.

Identification:  The first few leaves of seedlings typically have a bit of reddish/fuzzy characteristics from the Teddybear father and appear bifid but with tiny windows in the leaflets. (Consider: pure Cabada Palm has a bifid eophyll while pure Teddybear Palm has a pinnate eophyll so this is a mix of the two different types).