Cycad cones and flushes

[Brian]

Another Zamia with bronze flush

 

[Tracy]

7 hours ago, Brian said:

Another Zamia with bronze flush

Any idea what species of Zamia?  Looks great!  I was just outside admiring a similar bronze color on my Ceratozamia robusta which is flushing right now.

[Brian]

1 hour ago, Tracy said:

Any idea what species of Zamia?  Looks great!  I was just outside admiring a similar bronze color on my Ceratozamia robusta which is flushing right now.

Im not quite sure but maybe Zamia standleyi

[Tracy]

5 hours ago, Brian said:

maybe Zamia standleyi

I would be surprised if it were standleyi.  I think standleyi only throws a couple of leaves and only holds  a couple of flushes at best (normally only the most recent flush).  Mine normally carry 2 leaves which look healthy.

[virtualpalm]

It's not Z. standleyi and it's not Caribbean. It looks Mexican, but it doesn't fit Z. spartea. Is it possible that it is a hybrid?

[Tracy]

On 4/23/2017, 9:47:56, Josh-O said:

When it gets bigger will it flush a bunch more at the same time?

Going back to your question Josh, I was expecting and hoping for a higher count flush like my Encephalartos horridus is now throwing as they are similar in size.  I think I could count 19 new leaves on this flush.

[Brian]

8 hours ago, virtualpalm said:

It's not Z. standleyi and it's not Caribbean. It looks Mexican, but it doesn't fit Z. spartea. Is it possible that it is a hybrid?

Thanks for your thoughts Jody.

I do have Z. spartea that I germinated from seed but I always thought it was another narrow leaf zamia that I have. With things constantly getting moved around and kids pulling out name tags, who knows what is what. I cant rule out a hybrid because i didnt polinate the cones however of the few seeds i did germinate all of the plants look very simular and have simular growth rates. 

 

 

[Josh-O]

3 hours ago, Tracy said:

Going back to your question Josh, I was expecting and hoping for a higher count flush like my Encephalartos horridus is now throwing as they are similar in size.  I think I could count 19 new leaves on this flush.

looks fantastic Tracy!! awesome pictures and thanks for posting a reply

Cant wait for mine to flush

[Josh-O]

decided to post one of my flushes

encephalartos altensteinii x trispinosus

 

[Tracy]

9 hours ago, Josh-O said:

encephalartos altensteinii x trispinosus

Nice structure on this hybrid!  So boy or girl?  I would think the next generation cross would be another blue to try to get the blue color, and keep the hybrid vigor going.  Perhaps horridus or a blue arenarius?  This is one of my Encephalartos natalensis x horridus flushing right now.  This particular one is male but I'm hoping the other which hasn't coned yet is a female!  Once again, not the blue that was wished for in the hybrid, but if one turns out female, I would be inclined to pollinate with a different blue than the horridus already in it's "sap lines".   The goal, to get a real blue and keep the hybrid vigor going.

[Josh-O]

On 5/8/2017, 6:09:22, Tracy said:

Nice structure on this hybrid!  So boy or girl?  I would think the next generation cross would be another blue to try to get the blue color, and keep the hybrid vigor going.  Perhaps horridus or a blue arenarius?  This is one of my Encephalartos natalensis x horridus flushing right now.  This particular one is male but I'm hoping the other which hasn't coned yet is a female!  Once again, not the blue that was wished for in the hybrid, but if one turns out female, I would be inclined to pollinate with a different blue than the horridus already in it's "sap lines".   The goal, to get a real blue and keep the hybrid vigor going.

that nathor looks awesome !!

[Tracy]

I've been waiting for the pup on my Encephalartos arenarius x woodii to pop for a while now.  I thought the main plant would have flushed by now as well, but its clearly been putting some energy into this offset.  I think the previous flush of the offset was about 5 new leaves, but this time its up to 11 that I can see.

[Tracy]

[Palm Tree Jim]

Very nice!!!

[Josh-O]

8 hours ago, Tracy said:

E Ino?

[Tracy]

1 minute ago, Josh-O said:

E Ino?

 

8 hours ago, Tracy said:

 

Yes, Encephalartos inopinus.  Somehow I lost the text I keyed in with the photos.  It is still quite small, but you can see two pups flushing and there are 2 more small offsets you can't see on the opposite side.  This one is going crazy for such a small main caudex.

[Funkthulhu]

It's just a boring common Sago, but I'm happy to see that my basketball is putting out its first flush since 2015!

[Tracy]

22 hours ago, Funkthulhu said:

It's just a boring common Sago, but I'm happy to see that my basketball is putting out its first flush since 2015!

It makes it that much more exciting if you have to wait a long time between flushes.  Fortunately for me, the only times I have had to wait that long were after transplanting some cycads when I moved.  And "boring common Sago" is still a beautiful plant; I would remove the boring, and even the common is probably dependent on where you are. So congratulations, and you should post a photo of your baby!  I would imagine that in Lincoln, Cycas revoluta is still a very unusual plant.  I would imagine you have to bring yours in for the winters there?

[Tracy]

I'm not singin' the blues anymore, cuz my Encepalartos horridus is finishing popping that nice big flush!  Color still needs to develop to the blue on the previous flush on the new soft leaves, but it will be blue soon.

[Funkthulhu]

25 minutes ago, Tracy said:

It makes it that much more exciting if you have to wait a long time between flushes.  Fortunately for me, the only times I have had to wait that long were after transplanting some cycads when I moved.  And "boring common Sago" is still a beautiful plant; I would remove the boring, and even the common is probably dependent on where you are. So congratulations, and you should post a photo of your baby!  I would imagine that in Lincoln, Cycas revoluta is still a very unusual plant.  I would imagine you have to bring yours in for the winters there?

Everything I own has to come inside for the winter...  It's the only way I can control my container ranch, if it won't fit in the apartment I have to purge something.  I'll see about taking some new shots tonight; everything is getting rather happy on the balcony these last few weeks.  

As for the C.revoluta, they sell them everywhere here as little tennis ball-sized desk plants, but they seldom survive.  I was given mine at soft ball-sized caudex by a coworker, who had it in their main office for at least a year or two and thought it was a fake plastic plant.  (but someone must have watered it?)  It only had three fronds when I got it, and took it 18 months of babying to put out a flush.  Over the last 11 years it has averaged a flush per summer, sometimes two.  But the last one popped in June of 2015, so I've been waiting.

[Funkthulhu]

Flushing!

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

Male ceratozamia hildae dehiscing with new flush.  Female in the background, not yet receptive. 

[Josh-O]

On 5/24/2017, 8:31:59, Tracy said:

 

Yes, Encephalartos inopinus.  Somehow I lost the text I keyed in with the photos.  It is still quite small, but you can see two pups flushing and there are 2 more small offsets you can't see on the opposite side.  This one is going crazy for such a small main caudex.

the color is amazing too. great plant Tracy

[Tracy]

Since the string is about Cones and Flushes, the view out our bedroom window seemed appropriate to post.  Lepidiozamia peroffskyana with male cone forming and one of my Cycas thouarsii pushing a new flush as we head toward the end of Spring.

[BS Man about Palms]

I decided I should maybe post in this huge thread... I may have even posted before.. I can't remember back that far..

But here's a female pup of a "true blue arenaria" per the late Mardi Darian I bought from him at least 5+ years ago...

and I think recently my Cycas simplicina revealed to me it's a male??

[BeauBlues]

Dioon edule var Jacala Hildalgo

 

[5150cycad]

On May 8, 2017 at 6:09:22 AM, Tracy said:

Nice structure on this hybrid!  So boy or girl?  I would think the next generation cross would be another blue to try to get the blue color, and keep the hybrid vigor going.  Perhaps horridus or a blue arenarius?  This is one of my Encephalartos natalensis x horridus flushing right now.  This particular one is male but I'm hoping the other which hasn't coned yet is a female!  Once again, not the blue that was wished for in the hybrid, but if one turns out female, I would be inclined to pollinate with a different blue than the horridus already in it's "sap lines".   The goal, to get a real blue and keep the hybrid vigor going.

That is a very nice looking nat-hor. I really like the encephalartos natalensis x horridus (nat-hor) hybrid. Here is a picture of one of my larger plants that seems to get bluer and bluer with each flush (photo below). 

 

[5150cycad]

altensteinii x latifrons 

[5150cycad]

Enc. Tri

 

[Tracy]

2 hours ago, 5150cycad said:

altensteinii x latifrons 

It has the twist from the latifrons, but the narrower leaflets of the altenstenii.  Nice color!

[Tracy]

2 hours ago, 5150cycad said:

Enc. Tri

 

Nice color, but unless it is a spineless trispinosis, I'm wondering if it is the correct descriptor for the plant in the photo?  My trispinosis which I believe would be a standard (neither broad leaf nor spineless) variety was just pushing a flush, caught in the am light.

[Tracy]

On 4/17/2017, 4:28:56, Tracy said:

Kind of disappointing to see the larger plant pushing only 3 leaves like the smaller one, but at least they are both

Someday, maybe mine will have a flush like this.... in a far distant time.  Every time I tried to count, I seemed to have lost my spot and had to start over.

[Tracy]

8 minutes ago, Tracy said:

3 hours ago, 5150cycad said:

 

Nice color, but unless it is a spineless trispinosis, I'm wondering if it is the correct descriptor for the plant in the photo?

My error.  I didn't look at the full size photo, where the spines on the leaflets were apparent.  My apologies!

[5150cycad]

5 hours ago, Tracy said:

My error.  I didn't look at the full size photo, where the spines on the leaflets were apparent.  My apologies!

No apologies needed. Like u mentioned, it's hard to see the spines in the photo, plus there aren't very many spines compared to most other trispinosus. This particular Tri is a female and coned for me two years ago. I was hoping for a cone again this year but you never know what to expect with cycads. 

[5150cycad]

On May 7, 2017 at 8:03:42 PM, Josh-O said:

decided to post one of my flushes

encephalartos altensteinii x trispinosus

 

That thing is a beast. Go big or go home. I really like the addition of the alt x Tri.  I am stoked to see that you might have gotten bit by the cycad bug. I hope you keep adding more to your garden. Your garden is amazing and just keeps getting better every day. 

[Tracy]

1 hour ago, 5150cycad said:

This particular Tri is a female and coned for me two years ago. I was hoping for a cone again this year but you never know what to expect with cycads.

Well you have to look at the bright side of it skipping some time between coning.  When it isn't coning, its putting more energy into its roots and flushes.  I have seen some Zamia's and Ceratozamia's expend all their energy during summer on coning, and then not have enough left to push a flush before cooler winter slows them down and they basically miss a year of growth. 

[buccaneers37]

First flush on my merolae since I planted it.

 

[buccaneers37]

Encephalartos msinganus. When I planted this last year, I straightened the trunk out (it had been growing at an angle towards the sun in the yard it was in before). When it started to flush, I cut all the old leaves off because they had been pointing towards the street.

 

[buccaneers37]

A nice set of males cones on my Ceratozamia miqueliana. Alas, no female in sight! Note: The finger is for scale

[buccaneers37]

Encephalartos caffer