Teddy bear palm cold hardiness
Chrysalidocarpus leptocheilos (Hodel) Eiserhardt & W.J.Baker
Outdoor verdict
Teddy bear palm lives outside only in a mild winter, about 28F (USDA 10a+). A real freeze marks it. Young plants can wait in a pot. A mature one wants the ground only if the winter clears that number.
The fuzzy red-crownshaft Madagascar palm. USDA 10a to 12. Kew's accepted name is Chrysalidocarpus leptocheilos. Tags still use Dypsis leptocheilos.
Cold hardiness
Survives about 28°F / -2°C. Outdoor range USDA 10a–12a. Hover or click a zone, state, or country. Click a state to open palms that grow there.
Highlighted USDA zones 10a–12a. Green countries can be grown outdoors.
United States
In range Too cold
World
Native Can be grown
Alaska and Hawaii are state outlines with their overall zone range. A country is painted if its mildest inhabited winter is at least one USDA step milder than this palm’s hardiness.
Winter care
Drainage matters more than a blanket. Soil: Rich, moist, well-drained. Water: Moist but never waterlogged (mesic). Wrapping does not buy an extra zone. If the winter is colder than the kill number, keep it in a pot.
Scientific facts
- The crownshaft is rusty and fuzzy. That is the teddy bear.
- Same genus move as areca: Dypsis to Chrysalidocarpus on Kew.
- Frost-free, water, fertilizer. Dry neglect looks poor.
Region of origin
Northern and northwestern Madagascar
Native countries
Historical discovery
Donald Hodel described it as Neodypsis leptocheilos in 1993. Kew now accepts Chrysalidocarpus leptocheilos. Nurseries still say Dypsis. The fuzzy red-brown crownshaft is the teddy bear.
Names
Common names
Teddy bear palm, Redneck palm
Synonyms
- Dypsis leptocheilos (Hodel) Beentje & J.Dransf.
- Neodypsis leptocheilos Hodel
Full care guide
The teddy bear palm is the Madagascar feather palm with a rusty, fuzzy crownshaft. USDA 10a to 12. Kew's accepted name is Chrysalidocarpus leptocheilos. Labels still say Dypsis leptocheilos. It wants heat and water, not a desert.
Growth Rate:
Moderate to fast in heat with water.
Fruit and Flowering:
Small fruit on mature plants.
Light Requirements:
Full sun to light shade. Young plants like a little protection from dry inland sun.
Water Requirements:
Even moisture. This is a Madagascar wet-forest palm in garden terms, not a Baja Brahea.
Maintenance Level:
Medium. Feed in the growing season with palm-specific fertilizer. Keep it watered in heat. The fuzzy crownshaft is the feature. Do not scrape it off.
Common Diseases/Pests:
Scale, mites in dry wind, nutrient yellowing in sand.
Plant Care:
Heat, water, fertilizer, frost-free. If you cannot keep an areca or king palm happy outdoors, you will not keep this one happy either.
Teddy bear palm Frequently Asked Questions:
Plant teddy bear palm in frost-free heat if you want the rusty crownshaft. If the winter still dips, pick a different Madagascar story, or a hardy fan.
Teddy bear palm questions
Will Teddy bear palm live outside?
Yes, if winter stays above about 28F (USDA 10a+). Below that number it belongs in a pot.
What do nurseries mislabel Teddy bear palm as?
Common names wander. The accepted name is Chrysalidocarpus leptocheilos. Read the Latin on the tag before you buy.
Pot or ground for Teddy bear palm in a cold state?
Start it in a pot if you want. The ground is fine only where winter stays above about 28F.
Teddy bear or areca?
Areca is the yellow-stemmed clumping houseplant (C. lutescens). Teddy bear is a solitary tree with a rusty fuzzy crownshaft.
Why Chrysalidocarpus?
Kew moved several Madagascar Dypsis, including this one and areca, back to Chrysalidocarpus. Shops still say Dypsis.
Does the fuzz go away?
The crownshaft stays rusty and hairy. That is the plant. Older trunk below may clean up.
Related palms
The mix-up, the substitute, then nearby hardiness.
