International Palm and Cycad Society

[pogobob]

Many of our affiliates around the world include cycads in their titles, as most collectors and growers are interested in both. Maybe it's time to change the societies title to include this fact of our lives!

What do you think? Am I Nutz?

[DALION]

Robert

I agree that cycads are usually campanion plants to many palm growers here in this forum. I personally have more than 10 more cycads than I do palms but I would rather this forum remain palm centered. Maybe "they" can add a "Discussing Cycads Worldwide" forum so we don't have to use the "Other Than Palms" forum section. I too maybe crazy but I have been told that many times before.

Leo

[peachy]

Bob a lot people are into bromeliads crotons or cordylines, more so than cycads I think. I am greedy I have them all. It's bad enough to put up with the palm klootsaks without diversifying them even further so I vote to leave as a palm forum only.

Peachy

[tropicalb]

yes you are nutz.

[Bags]

I agree. It would be nice if a lot of plant societies combined some of their efforts. I think you could add bromeliads and Crotons to the mix. What about if these plant societies got together to sponsor a forum like this. It could be the same format just add a discussing what ever plant world wide. The traffic on this site would increase and create a lot more interest in general.

[bgl]

There already is a cycad society (The Cycad Society), and I don't see any reason why the IPS would want to step on their toes. Just like we wouldn't want them to step on our toes by adding "Palm" to their name. I guess you could call it common courtesy. Or maybe even common sense. And concentrating on what we want to concentrate on.

[paulgila]

i dont think its gonna happen,bob.

[Dave-Vero]

The Cycad Society is small but very well-run, with interesting events open to the public at board meetings, and a great Newsletter.

[edric]

NO!!

[virtualpalm]

As the past president and long-time board member of The Cycad Society (TCS), I of course agree with Bo that there really is no need to merge the two societies or add "cycad" to the IPS name. TCS and IPS are both alive and well and have very different goals. If you (or anyone else here) are interested in cycads, I would encourage you to join TCS. Becoming a member is relatively inexpensive, and it is very easy to join from our website: www.cycad.org

Jody

P.S. Thanks for the kind words, Dave.

[virtualpalm]

I agree. It would be nice if a lot of plant societies combined some of their efforts. I think you could add bromeliads and Crotons to the mix. What about if these plant societies got together to sponsor a forum like this. It could be the same format just add a discussing what ever plant world wide. The traffic on this site would increase and create a lot more interest in general.

PalmTalk is already doing this... Am I missing something here?

Jody

[Jeff Searle]

There already is a cycad society (The Cycad Society), and I don't see any reason why the IPS would want to step on their toes. Just like we wouldn't want them to step on our toes by adding "Palm" to their name. I guess you could call it common courtesy. Or maybe even common sense. And concentrating on what we want to concentrate on.

I agree. The IPS was established back in the mid 50's as is. And like stated, what's next, crotons,Petunias,Bromeliads,silk trees,etc? The cycad society is also well established, prints a first rate journal and would be well worth to join.

Not interested,Bob.

Jeff

[LJG]

I think it is a great idea for the regional ones. The PSSC would benefit I think. The International ones are the flagships, so no need to add anything.

[pogobob]

Len's answer to my random question makes the best "common sense" so far.

I didn't mean to imply any uncourteous sense here Mr. President

[waykoolplantz]

Just say NO to cycads

[paulgila]

[Mandrew968]

NO, cycads.

[Bags]

I agree. It would be nice if a lot of plant societies combined some of their efforts. I think you could add bromeliads and Crotons to the mix. What about if these plant societies got together to sponsor a forum like this. It could be the same format just add a discussing what ever plant world wide. The traffic on this site would increase and create a lot more interest in general.

PalmTalk is already doing this... Am I missing something here?

Jody

I know it is doing it to some extent, but yahoo groups it the forum the Cycad society sponsors and it is a bit hard to follow and does not seem to have a lot of traffic. There is the SA cycad forum is too fragmented with sub forums and does not have near as much traffic as Palm talk. I am not sure if the bromeliad society has a forum. I joined one that looks like the same as the SA Cycad forum. Palmpedia is the croton society which I think is the best of the bunch behind palm talk. I certainly would not want to step on anyone like Dean's toes who have put a lot of work into developing there forums, but almost all of us collect and are interested in different types of plants. For me it would be nice if some of these plant societies worked together to direct everyone to the same forum. If all of the cycad and bromeliad guys came here and were constantly looking at palm society pics and info it would increase the likely hood they join another society. I think the newsletters and meeting would be better off separate. Just my opinion. I'll duck the incoming rocks now.

[bgl]

Not that this is going to happen anyway, but if PalmTalk (or the IPS) were to put more emphasis on cycads, chances are there would be even more fragmentation, not consolidation. For the various plant societies to get together and "direct everyone to the same forum" is simply not going to happen. Too many different interests and egos. And it would probably not be in anyone's interest anyway. A certain level of fragmentation is good. Gives people a choice.

[virtualpalm]

I don't think this needs to be an opportunity to bash cycads, does it?

Jody

[mike in kurtistown]

I agree in keeping the focus of PalmTalk on palms.

Beyond that, I think that the Cycad Society, of which I am a member, would benefit greatly from having a forum like PalmTalk. (If they could afford it on their small budget.)

[LJG]

I agree in keeping the focus of PalmTalk on palms.

Beyond that, I think that the Cycad Society, of which I am a member, would benefit greatly from having a forum like PalmTalk. (If they could afford it on their small budget.)

There is one, but not sponsored by the Cycad society.

http://cycadforum.co.za/index.php

[Walter John]

Australia has the combo Palms and Cycads society, it works because we are so small. I think it is a great point to bring up and a consideration for other smaller organisations. Most palm nuts will get an interest and acquire cycads, although I don't see that as much in reverse..

[Dypsisdean]

I agree in keeping the focus of PalmTalk on palms.

Beyond that, I think that the Cycad Society, of which I am a member, would benefit greatly from having a forum like PalmTalk. (If they could afford it on their small budget.)

PALMPEDIA is open, available, and free for any plant society that wants to set up shop with a state of the art forum. The Croton Society set up shop there last year and has a very active presence. It would take all of about 2 minutes to set it up, and can even be arranged so whoever they desire can moderate. In addition, there are many other features that they could also take advantage of.

[hanapalms]

Nein, Nyet, 'A'ole

[Moose]

Go hug an Encephalartos sp.

Many of our affiliates around the world include cycads in their titles, as most collectors and growers are interested in both. Maybe it's time to change the societies title to include this fact of our lives!

What do you think? Am I Nutz?

[virtualpalm]

Go hug an Encephalartos sp.

Ron, I am well-acquainted with your aversion to Encephalartos, and I can appreciate it... but going back to your comment, I have quite literally hugged a several-hundred-year-old Encephalartos transvenosus plant in the Modjadji Cycad Reserve in Limpopo Province, South Africa, and it was truly a magical experience. While I have also seen dozens of species of palms in habitat, I have never had the same type of experience with any of them. Here is me and the famed cycad artist and author, Douglas Goode, standing next to one such plant (with beers in hand!):

Another such experience (which was my first actually seeing large, mature cycads in habitat) happened in Honduras when I stood in awe of a 1,200-year-old plant of Dioon mejiae... words simply cannot describe it. Here is me next to this amazing plant:

Go cycads!

Jody

[Walter John]

Try hugging Livistona saribus and Aiphanes horridus baby

[pogobob]

Amazing photos Jody!

There was a time when I never would consider growing cycads in my garden because I didn't like the bloodletting involved with being around them, even tho I admired them. But my son Braden started collecting and growing them several years ago and now they have found their way into the garden. Now I am a part time day laborer at Bradens Willowbrook nursery, and assistant landscape desighner. I have come to realize that cycads are some of the best plants for our climate, and really great additions to palm gardens. Some of the gardens I've seen where cycads are the main feature are incredable! Cycad collecting for many palm collectors seems to be a secondary interest that comes along and sometimes becomes an equal or stronger aspect of their plant passions.

It's interesting to read the reactions here to my simple statement/ question. Some people just haven't bled enouph yet to get it!

[bgl]

Jody,

That photo with you and the Dioon mejiae is absolutely amazing! Never seen anything like it!

Bo-Göran

[Pedro 65]

Jody, those pics you sent are incredible, "walking with dinosaurs". Palms and Cycads go hand in hand, my thought is,if your into Palms and not Cycads , maybe you havnt been around Palms very long?

[Moose]

Jody - LOL , you know my aversion of the Encephalartos genus all too well. It stems from years of helping vendors move massive (25-45 gallon containers) E. ferox and E. gratus at the Palm sales. Pain and plants do not go together in my opinion.

At the South Florida Palm Society sale at Fairchild, I spent more time with Jody than anyone else. You do not get the opportunity to talk cycads to a person of Jody's experience very often. When at the Palm Beach Palm and Cycad Socierty sales, I seek out Dale Holton for the same reason. In my garden there are cycads represented by the genera Cycas, Lepidozamia, Macrozamia, Ceratozamia and Zamia. Included in my botanical library is Cycads of the World, David L. Jones and The Cycads, Loran M. Whitelock, so I am not exactly ignorant.

Encephalartos belong in someone elses yard or in a botanical garden viewed from a distance. No wonder they out survived the dinosaurs, they could not eat those thorny ass plants.

Go hug an Encephalartos sp.

Ron, I am well-acquainted with your aversion to Encephalartos, and I can appreciate it... but going back to your comment, I have quite literally hugged a several-hundred-year-old Encephalartos transvenosus plant in the Modjadji Cycad Reserve in Limpopo Province, South Africa, and it was truly a magical experience. While I have also seen dozens of species of palms in habitat, I have never had the same type of experience with any of them. Here is me and the famed cycad artist and author, Douglas Goode, standing next to one such plant (with beers in hand!):

Another such experience (which was my first actually seeing large, mature cycads in habitat) happened in Honduras when I stood in awe of a 1,200-year-old plant of Dioon mejiae... words simply cannot describe it. Here is me next to this amazing plant:

Go cycads!

Jody

[Palmzilla]

Jody,

That photo with you and the Dioon mejiae is absolutely amazing! Never seen anything like it!

Bo-Göran

Kinda cool how cycads looks like palms when they get big....

Braden

[virtualpalm]

Jody,

That photo with you and the Dioon mejiae is absolutely amazing! Never seen anything like it!

Bo-Göran

I simply cannot put into words how it felt to be in the presence of those massive and ancient plants that actually may have been alive at the fall of the Roman Empire. It was truly magical! In fact, there may only be two "gringos" in the world that have seen that particular population... and before my research trip to Honduras in 2003, very little was actually known about this species. Below are links to a couple scientific papers that my friend Mark Bonta and I published on this species:

http://www.cycadconservation.org/publications/Haynes-Bonta-Dioon-mejiae-emended-description.pdf

http://www.cycadconservation.org/publications/Bonta-et-al-2006.pdf

And below is a link to an article that I wrote for the Cycad Newsletter that highlights some of the other large dioons that I have been lucky enough to see in habitat:

http://www.cycadconservation.org/publications/Haynes-2005-In-Company-of-Giants.pdf

Jody

P.S. Thanks to everyone else who commented on my recent photo posting. I appreciate your interest.

[Moose]

Is this topic in the wrong thread?

[Pedro 65]

Im into my Cycads as I am many different plants. The Tropical Looking Plants section is well set up for folks to show and look at cycads. Saying that...Cycad cones and flushes has had over 50 500 hits (thats Fifty Thousand Five Hundred) in 2.5 years ...Theres a LOT of people into cycads and viewing them here on Palmtalk in that section is fantastic. Keep it how it is, its working really well. Never a dull moment here for the eyes on PT

[Mike in Nelson]

From my experience, those who are palm growers tend to be both Cycad and tropical plants lovers too. It all seems to go hand in hand.