Cycad cones and flushes

[Gallop]

A couple pollinated hildae cones, ( I used sabatoi x hildae to pollinate)

Rev x multifrondis flushing

Last two pictures are for comparison, Cycas Debaoensis and Cycas multifrondis. Seedlings are the same age. 

[Gallop]

Polinating Panzi x Multifrondis with Multifrondis x Swansong 

[Gallop]

Panzi x Tat, pics taken during the flush evolution showing different shades of green.

Edited May 13, 2023 by Gallop

[Gallop]

C multipinnta pushing two leaves, will update as they develop 

[Gallop]

It amazes me how well plants grow this time of year, see something new every day. -( not sure why some of the photos turn sideways once downloaded?)

Edited May 13, 2023 by Gallop

[Navarro]

50 minutes ago, Gallop said:

Me sorprende lo bien que crecen las plantas en esta época del año, ver algo nuevo todos los días. -(¿No estoy seguro de por qué algunas de las fotos se vuelven de lado una vez descargadas?)

Se me cae la baba en casa publicación de usted 🤤 increíble 😍

[Tracy]

On 5/8/2023 at 5:18 AM, Merlyn said:

@Tracyoddly enough I immediately thought yours was Kisambo!  Those three big spikes on the upper edge of the leaf near the rachis are very unique.  Gratus and Kisambo both have that kind of spikiness, but Gratus fronds are probably shorter (up to 6-7 feet) with darker green leaves and more recurved and randomly twisty.  Kisambo tends to be super-straight fronds and leaves (like Whitelockii) with more of a lime-green color.  This came from Neil at the CFPACS meeting, I was asking him how to tell the difference between the two.  Here's the spec illustration for reference:

And this is Neil's Kisambo for reference:

And the median leaflets with the spikes.  This one is in fairly dense shade so it's deep green.

Good call.  I bought that cycad as an offset from a nursery that received it in trade and said it was Encephalartos altensteinii.   The leaf shape matches my Encephalartos kisambo as well as the leaflets.   My Encephalartos kisambo below for comparison.   This bigger one is in the back yard and the one I always trusted was Encephalartos altensteinii is in the opposite front corner of the lot.

[Tracy]

On 5/13/2023 at 12:41 AM, Gallop said:

Polinating Panzi x Multifrondis with Multifrondis x Swansong 

I am guessing you use a dry pollination method for these.  That is what I have unsuccessfully tried with all my Cycas.  With Encephalartos I use a wet method, basting syringe and pollen in solution of purified or distilled water.  The wet .ethod is very dependable for me on the Encephalartos which is why I inquire on your method for Cycas.

[Gallop]

2 hours ago, Tracy said:

I am guessing you use a dry pollination method for these.  That is what I have unsuccessfully tried with all my Cycas.  With Encephalartos I use a wet method, basting syringe and pollen in solution of purified or distilled water.  The wet .ethod is very dependable for me on the Encephalartos which is why I inquire on your method for Cycas.

Tracy, I mix a couple ounces of distilled water 2-3 drops of spreader sticker and add my pollen. I use an artist brush to paint the ovules with my pollen mix.  The next day I come back and apply pollen dry. 

[Gallop]

[BillAndy]

A trimmed Z. Vazquezii is just starting a new flush. 

[BillAndy]

C. Thouarsii pup collected over the winter has finally taken root and is pushing its first leaf. 

[Merlyn]

Here's a flush update on some really neat Cycas:

First up is a Micholitzii that I put in way too much sun last spring.  When summer came around it just got torched.  Hopefully this flush will be ok with a couple of hours of sun:

Just a couple of feet away is a Cycas Panzhihuaensis x Debaoensis (probably Multifrondis) with a nice 3 frond flush:

Near the house is a 2 headed Cycas Bifida with 2 fronds opening on the left head, and 2 more about 4-5 feet tall on the right head:

And the largest Cycas Multipinnata is starting to open the branches, it's easily 12 feet tall!

And a triple threat!  The Dioon Spinulosum has a couple of feet of trunk and has a nice flush on the main head and the pup in the bottom right.  The foreground is a ~7 foot tall Cycas Multipinnata frond just starting to open up:

[Merlyn]

I had to go get a 6 foot stepladder and climb up to the top...and it was still above my head!

[Merlyn]

It seems like every time I walk around the yard I find another flush!  This is a twofer, with a small Cycas Panzhihuaensis on the bottom left and a big Encephalartos Kisambo trying to dominate the area:

Originally I thought it was a Gratus, but the leaves are much too straight and close to 10' long.  Here's the median leaves on an older frond:

I'm going to have to chop off some of the old fronds to keep them from crushing nearby plants.

[GDLWyverex]

My Encephalartos Ferox gave me 2 large female cones two years ago then took the next year off and gave me nothing. Two years without a flush, then what to my wondering eyes should appear this year but a generously large new flush which I wish to share with you.

I've read that female cycads often take a year off after producing cones. Personally, I prefer flushes to cones, if it has to be one or the other, though several of my other cycads often give me a flush and cones in the same season.

Richard

[Meangreen94z]

On 5/18/2023 at 11:38 AM, Merlyn said:

Here's a flush update on some really neat Cycas:

First up is a Micholitzii that I put in way too much sun last spring.  When summer came around it just got torched.  Hopefully this flush will be ok with a couple of hours of sun:

Just a couple of feet away is a Cycas Panzhihuaensis x Debaoensis (probably Multifrondis) with a nice 3 frond flush:

Near the house is a 2 headed Cycas Bifida with 2 fronds opening on the left head, and 2 more about 4-5 feet tall on the right head:

And the largest Cycas Multipinnata is starting to open the branches, it's easily 12 feet tall!

And a triple threat!  The Dioon Spinulosum has a couple of feet of trunk and has a nice flush on the main head and the pup in the bottom right.  The foreground is a ~7 foot tall Cycas Multipinnata frond just starting to open up:

Your yard is really filling in! Nice

[Tracy]

Mama plant is yet to start a flush or pushing out some Megasporophylls, but the pups are all a poppin' on this female Cycas thouarsii x cupida.  I can't get all the pups in a single photo, because they completely encircle the original main caudex.

[Tracy]

When I saw the original cone to emerge was off center, I suspected a second cone was going to emerge as opposed to the single cone plus flush.  Lepidozamia peroffkyana male with a pair, so it looks like I'll have a little pollen in the coming weeks.  Not a bad reproduction adaptation having sequential cones so that it maximizes the probability that a female will be receptive when one or the other male cones is actually shedding pollen.

[realarch]

Such a long lived thread, I guess epic best describes all the posts. I believe this my first post after all these years as my Cycas have finally developed a significant presence in the garden. Not being a cycad collector, most of the specimens we’ve acquired were gifted and a few purchased. I now wish I’d been more disciplined in recording species ID’s as I don’t have a clue for many of them.

Anyway, I thought I’d post some photos of one species I know, Lepidozamia peroffskyana. (Tracy, we’re on the same wavelength).

Just stunning beautiful and of the three, one is female, one male, and the other has not coned yet. The first photo is the one that has not yet had a cone. 

Tim

[realarch]

Here are a few pics of the female L. peroffskyana.

[realarch]

And the male L. peroffskyana. Hey I hope I’m getting all this right!

Tim

[amh]

One of my Cycas panzhihuaensis beginning to flush:

And some Dioon spinulosums flushing and new leaves hardening off:

 

[tropicalb]

5 hours ago, realarch said:

And the male L. peroffskyana. Hey I hope I’m getting all this right!

Tim

the peroffskyana's growincredibly well in hawaii!....much better than CA.

[Tracy]

18 hours ago, realarch said:

And the male L. peroffskyana. Hey I hope I’m getting all this right!

Tim

Tim you are right on the mark.  The male cones do their corkscrew opening and females get some massive cones.  Dean's old garden here, now Dorian's, has a big female out front which was still holding a huge cone last time I walked by.  These actually do quite well in Coastal Southern California so I am a little puzzled by Tropicalb 's comment.  Not to detract from how well they grow in Hawai'i or how beautiful your specimens are.  These are an underutilized cycad here.  Lush and unarmed, so they can be placed in many positions in a garden, just allow some space as you have. 

[Merlyn]

Peroffskyana is also much hardier than I originally thought.  I'd seen reports of it (and Dioon Spinulosum) barely surviving upper 20s.  But even after I removed my tall oak canopy both have done amazingly well down to 24-25F with frost.  They had some leaf burn, but no more than about 25%.  I wish I'd bought ChuckG's second big Peroffskyana when I had the chance...

Back on topic, here's a flush progression on my smaller Cycas Multipinnata:

[Meangreen94z]

2 hours ago, Merlyn said:

Peroffskyana is also much hardier than I originally thought.  I'd seen reports of it (and Dioon Spinulosum) barely surviving upper 20s.  But even after I removed my tall oak canopy both have done amazingly well down to 24-25F with frost.  They had some leaf burn, but no more than about 25%.  I wish I'd bought ChuckG's second big Peroffskyana when I had the chance...

Back on topic, here's a flush progression on my smaller Cycas Multipinnata:

Most internet hardiness info is generic and inaccurate, written by wholesaler growers in zone 10. Lepidozamia hopei is supposedly only hardy to the low 20’s caudex wise. Perryoffskyana is hardy to atleast the teens. I left one in my parents yard, its growth point is mostly subterranean but it came back from 14°F in 2021. Last December dropped to 18°F there, I threw mulch and a large container over it. Whatever it dropped to inside didn’t burn the fronds. 
 

Dioon spinulosum is not hardy. I can confirm that.

[Tracy]

On 5/23/2023 at 4:24 PM, Tracy said:

female Cycas thouarsii x cupida.  I can't get all the pups in a single photo, because they completely encircle the original main caudex.

I came back to this girl since I had so many pups ready to blast off.  Rather than have a cluster of new leaves attempting to push their way through heavy foliage and getting bent as well as restricting airflow (invites mealy bugs, scale and other undesirables), I trimmed them up.   I'm sure I'm not the only one that does this at times.  Thought I would share that though, as sometimes it just needs to be done for the greater good.

[realarch]

Tracy, thanks for the response. So, in your post above, do you remove the pups and replant? Is there a certain amount of root mass you need to obtain to ensure a successful transplant or do just leave them alone and keep them trimmed?

Tim

[realarch]

I finally found a name  in my database to associate with a Zamia in the garden. Quite the Easter egg hunt. 

I’m somewhat sure that this is Zamia neurophyllidia, seems to match the description and one I’ve had for awhile now. An attractive plant to say the least. 

Tim

[realarch]

Found another one, Cycas bougainvilleana starting to make a presence in the garden. On a slope with a bit of overhead cover. 

Tim

[Tracy]

3 hours ago, realarch said:

Tracy, thanks for the response. So, in your post above, do you remove the pups and replant? Is there a certain amount of root mass you need to obtain to ensure a successful transplant or do just leave them alone and keep them trimmed?

Tim

In this case I have only trimmed the leaves off so there would be less clutter above.  I previously removed a pair of pups from this same female.  If the pups are coming off the trunk as they sometimes, do they essentially branch, and you cannot successfully remove and transplant them.  if they are basal pups. you can.  Wait for a dry period, dig and extract some root, and normally trim off all foliage as well so that all the energy of the pup is going into rooting.  I have received conflicting advice on best practice for transplanting a pup.  One friend has said his best success is with direct planting them into the ground.  Others have recommended going into a pumice type mixture initially to minimize the chance of root rot. 

On the mother plant, I normally leave the hole open for a period of time to allow the caudex to dry out and callous without soil pushed up against where the pup was separated from the mother plant's roots.  I actually posted photos a few years ago of a large pup extraction off my E arenarius x woodii with the help of George Sparkman.  There is a thread somewhere on this forum covering it.  George did put that one in a pumice mix to root out, and I recall seeing it's first flush about a year later.  I'm not sure of it's ultimate fate but I'm sure it was sold at one point.

I will dig some of this Cycas's pups and pot them up but just don't have time now for that project.  Maybe later in the summer.

And by the way that Zamia neurophyllidia is spectacular.  I think our long cool winters are too much for them but it is one that I wish I could grow here.

[realarch]

Thanks Tracy, I was curious about Cycad propagation. I did manage to find that Whitelock reference at the library and now have a couple of weeks to look it over and read more on the subject. 

On another note have any ideas what this little cycad is? I’ve got it planted next to a Ceratozamia hildae and I get the feeling it isn’t in the right spot. It’s only holding a few stems, but the leaves look relatively healthy. 
Tim

Edited May 26, 2023 by realarch
Grammar

[Merlyn]

@realarchthat's a neat one!  The Ceratozamia Hildae is cool too, but the other one is very unusual.  My first thought was Encephalartos Villosus, but the stems are totally wrong.  So maybe a rare Zamia type?  I looked through some photos and came up with Poeppigiana, Lecointei, Lindenii, Soconucensis, but my best guess is Standleyi.

[realarch]

Thanks Arthur, gives me some names to investigate. As far as the C. hildae, the neighbor ripped it out of his yard and threw it in the back open space. So, being an occasional plant scavenger, I carried it home and planted it. Score I’d say.

Tim

[Tracy]

20 hours ago, realarch said:

Thanks Tracy, I was curious about Cycad propagation. I did manage to find that Whitelock reference at the library and now have a couple of weeks to look it over and read more on the subject. 

On another note have any ideas what this little cycad is? I’ve got it planted next to a Ceratozamia hildae and I get the feeling it isn’t in the right spot. It’s only holding a few stems, but the leaves look relatively healthy. 
Tim

Tim looks like Zamia standleyi.   I'm out of pocket right now but can share a photo of leaf to compare in a couple of days. 

[realarch]

Arthur, Tracy, you are correct, and thanks! Sifting through the detritus at the base I found a barely legible name tag. I also noticed a sparse flush of two fuzzy stems and a small cone. This one has seven caudices with only one or two stems each. 

Tim

[Tracy]

10 hours ago, realarch said:

Arthur, Tracy, you are correct, and thanks! Sifting through the detritus at the base I found a barely legible name tag. I also noticed a sparse flush of two fuzzy stems and a small cone. This one has seven caudices with only one or two stems each. 

Tim

Right now mine has about 5 cones,  2 leaves that look nice and 1 leaf dying.   Like yours, I think the cones are associated with multiple caudices.   Sparse on leaves but they are attractive leaves.  Perhaps as they continue popping we will eventually get several leaves held at the same time. 

[Gallop]

[Tracy]

A 3 week progression on an Encephalartos princeps flush finishing with a shot from earlier today.  Still a ways to go before the flush finishes pushing up and hardens off.