Sainte-Luce Palm

This medium-sized palm grows as a single ringed trunk beneath a crown of recurved, feather-shaped leaves and a pale waxy crownshaft. Kew accepts it as *Chrysalidocarpus saintelucei*; older horticultural references use *Dypsis saintelucei*. [Kew Plants of the World Online](https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:77314654-1/general-information) and [PACSOA](https://www.pacsoa.org.au/wiki/index.php/Dypsis_saintelucei) describe the same southeastern Madagascan palm. ## Form and siting Allow room for a mature crown: [Dave’s Garden](https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/63598) reports heights of 12–30 feet, while palm specialists describe a typical 15–20-foot height and an 8-foot spread ([Palmpedia](https://www.palmpedia.net/palmsforcal/Dypsis_saintelucei)). Its sculptural foliage suits a warm-climate specimen planting. The traditional local name recorded by PACSOA is Telopoloamvilany. ## Growing conditions Give it sun or light shade, regular moisture, and soil that drains freely. PACSOA recommends a sunny, moist, well-drained position; avoid letting the root zone dry completely or remain waterlogged. The species is native to wet tropical forest and is listed as endangered in its native range, so choose legally nursery-propagated plants. ## Maintenance Remove only fully dead or broken fronds and keep green leaves intact. Check moisture during hot weather, especially for young plants, and maintain clear drainage around the root zone.