Red Neck Palm - 8" Pot

The Red Neck Palm (Dypsis leptocheilos), formerly known as Neodypsis leptocheilos, is a graceful solitary feather palm native to Madagascar. Its most distinctive feature is the swollen crownshaft covered in a soft, rust-red to reddish-brown felty fuzz (tomentum), set below a crown of long, arching, dark-green pinnate fronds.

It develops a slender, ringed grey trunk and a tidy, symmetrical canopy, making it a popular feature and avenue palm across warm, frost-free parts of India. With age it can reach a fair height while staying relatively narrow, so it suits both spacious lawns and larger courtyards.

Young plants are also grown in large pots for patios, entrances and atriums, where the colourful crownshaft becomes a year-round talking point.

Specifications

Care guide

Uses

<p>Red Neck Palm is grown mainly as an ornamental landscape and accent palm:</p><ul><li>Specimen or feature palm for lawns, courtyards and resort/hotel landscapes</li><li>Avenue and driveway planting in frost-free regions</li><li>Large container plant for entrances, patios and atriums</li><li>Tropical-look gardens where the rusty-red crownshaft adds colour and texture</li></ul>

Growing tips

<p>Plant outdoors after the last cold spell, ideally before or during the monsoon (June-September) so roots establish with natural rainfall.</p><p>Through the hot, dry pre-monsoon months (April-May), water deeply and consider light mulching to conserve moisture. Apply palm fertilizer with magnesium and micronutrients at the start of the growing season to prevent yellowing of older fronds.</p><p>In North India, protect young plants from cold winter winds and frost; growing them in pots that can be moved to a sheltered spot is safest in regions with cold winters.</p>