do plant nurseries make more money on the palms or the cycads?

[trioderob]

it seems like when I go to a new nursery and they dont know me

they always try to get me to buy an expensive small cycad such as an Encephalartos horridus.

and not a nice larger rare palm.

am I nuts ?

Edited February 4, 2010 by trioderob

[www.dadluvsu.com]

Right now they're making money on neither.

[tropicalb]

Right now they're making money on neither.

[tropicalb]

it seems like when I go to a new nursery and they dont know me

they always try to get me to buy an expensive small cycad such as an Encephalartos horridus.

and not a nice larger rare palm.

am I nuts ?

define "expensive"......

[trioderob]

it seems like when I go to a new nursery and they dont know me

they always try to get me to buy an expensive small cycad such as an Encephalartos horridus or

and not a nice larger rare palm.

am I nuts ?

define "expensive"......

well lets say around $400 for a small cycad

you guys are not new to this - you know the size plants typ at that price

I dont want to single out any growers or name any names on this public forum

I feel like everytime I walk into a new place they want to sell me a small $400 horridus

Edited February 5, 2010 by trioderob

[Tyrone]

I think cycads are expensive for two main reasons. Lack of propagation material at a cheap price (except Cycas revoluta) and the time to get these things to a decent size, ie many years. Palms are cheaper, but generally grow faster and propagation material is generally cheaper and easier to find than cycads. Are they making bigger margins on cycads than palms? Maybe in some cases, but I would think in the majority of cases no. I'd say the margins would be similar, or even less for some cycads. Unless someone is a collector and specifically after the rarer stuff, rare cycads would sit forever at the nursery if the proper margin was put on them. The average landscaper/home gardener wants the right look for the right price and they'd walk past an expensive rare cycad. So to sell the rarer stuff, the nursery would have to lower the price and reduce their margins. The challenge for nursery owners is to create repeat custom, and if possible create an enthusiast or collector of these rarer ones. This is done by friendly enthusiastic education of the client. As the client learns over time what the differences are, they can see the subtle differences and will want more. When I first started into palms, most palms looked very much alike, until I learned and could tell the difference. By then I was hooked and have grown into a crazy collector.

Best regards

Tyrone

[Tyrone]

it seems like when I go to a new nursery and they dont know me

they always try to get me to buy an expensive small cycad such as an Encephalartos horridus or

and not a nice larger rare palm.

am I nuts ?

define "expensive"......

well lets say around $400 for a small cycad

you guys are not new to this - you know the size plants typ at that price

I dont want to single out any growers or name any names on this public forum

I feel like everytime I walk into a new place they want to sell me a small $400 horridus

Here a 300mm pot E horridus would sell for around $400 AUD. Only collectors have them for sale though, no nurseries. It's nothing to pay $200 AUD for a shot Encepharlatos seed over here. Too expensive for me.

Best regards

Tyrone

[BS Man about Palms]

it seems like when I go to a new nursery and they dont know me

they always try to get me to buy an expensive small cycad such as an Encephalartos horridus or

and not a nice larger rare palm.

am I nuts ?

define "expensive"......

well lets say around $400 for a small cycad

you guys are not new to this - you know the size plants typ at that price

I dont want to single out any growers or name any names on this public forum

I feel like everytime I walk into a new place they want to sell me a small $400 horridus

For that price I would expect at least a few inches of caudex. That being said, it would probably be a 5-7 year old plant. How cheap is time?

[trioderob]

it seems like when I go to a new nursery and they dont know me

they always try to get me to buy an expensive small cycad such as an Encephalartos horridus or

and not a nice larger rare palm.

am I nuts ?

define "expensive"......

well lets say around $400 for a small cycad

you guys are not new to this - you know the size plants typ at that price

I dont want to single out any growers or name any names on this public forum

I feel like everytime I walk into a new place they want to sell me a small $400 horridus

For that price I would expect at least a few inches of caudex. That being said, it would probably be a 5-7 year old plant. How cheap is time?

I am not asking if the $400 is too high a figure for the cycad.

all I am stating is that I noticed more of a push to buy certain cycads than any other plant.

this event has happened to me multiple times.

[Palm Guy]

Tyrone pretty much said it.

Those cycads have probably been in inventory for some time and chances are they recognize you as a someone who knows your plants so they assume you'd be a good target (ie collector). The average landscaper would usually utilize plants that their familiar with (more common) but if they do choose a rare plant they'd go for the cheapest.

Palms would generally be better on a profit margin basis as you can grow most species alot faster and time means money. However,Pseudophoenix species are in a class of their own!

[FRITO]

Maybe you fit the cycad guy profile?

[Gileno Machado]

The prices may sound horridus but the blue Encephalartos is sooo pretty...even small ones...

[Dave-Vero]

Landscape-sized cycad specimens need a rather long time to grow. That said, I suspect prices are higher in California than Florida.