Current Favorite Cycad?

[DippyD]

4 hours ago, Tracy said:

Interesting I didn't know that, but I did get mine into the ground smaller than Dale's.  Some of mine had to wait a few years, but they were things I got as either bands or slightly bigger, so were still smaller by the time they got planted than Dale's.  Didn't lose any except the one I stepped on several times accidentally when it was small and that was after planting.... ooops!  Definitely helpful information to know.

I should clarify they grow much easier with less problems than in containers. I know several collectors, some here, that have all their plants in ceramic pots/containers/boxes. I don’t know if it’s a micro organism thing in the soil, too much saturation etc. just something I’ve seen and noticed over the last 15 years of growing them. I do have flats of seedlings which look as good as they can get of nubi/Eugene’s etc. just keep an eye on it and if you see something funky. I’d check the soil/roots immediately… 

Sorry Tracy i know I’m responding on your comment but directing it towards dale. 

[GeneAZ]

Mega lehmannii just produced flushes on the two front branches.  Three other branches hidden from view didn't grow this time.

By the way, this eugene maraise has been in container cultivation for 30 years starting with a 6-inch caudex.  It's now got 20 inches of clear trunk.

Edited January 18, 2023 by GeneAZ

[DippyD]

On 1/18/2023 at 12:20 PM, GeneAZ said:

Mega lehmannii just produced flushes on the two front branches.  Three other branches hidden from view didn't grow this time.

By the way, this eugene maraise has been in container cultivation for 30 years starting with a 6-inch caudex.  It's now got 20 inches of clear trunk.

You are one of the ones i was referring to who do have well grown ones in pots. 😀

[Billeb]

1 hour ago, DippyD said:

You are one of the ones i was referring to who do have well grown ones in pots. 😀

So what’s the trick @GeneAZ ? Pretty easy to get the heat/sun thing down in AZ but what else? Medium used, water schedule etc? The Eugene-Maraisii in particular looks cramped in that pot. Maybe that helps? 
 

-dale 

[GeneAZ]

10 hours ago, Billeb said:

So what’s the trick @GeneAZ ? Pretty easy to get the heat/sun thing down in AZ but what else? Medium used, water schedule etc? The Eugene-Maraisii in particular looks cramped in that pot. Maybe that helps? 
 

-dale 

Well-drained gravelly minerally soil (I use a lot of decomposed granite) and in my heat I water 3 or 4 times a week in summer.  Also, I do liquid feed twice  a month. 

Winter is just dormant care, water maybe once a month November through February and no fert. 

SA people tell me the Waterburg area gets lots of rain, so they encouraged me to emulate that in my summer. 

The eugenes have all coned for me, too. 

I find tight shoes is best for container cycads.  I try to go wider, not deeper, for repotting.  But if there's a major tap root, there's no real choice but to go deeper, not wider in containers.  I don't cut tap roots.  Some people do cut them successfully, but I'm a coward on that front.

[Tracy]

22 hours ago, GeneAZ said:

Well-drained gravelly minerally soil (I use a lot of decomposed granite) and in my heat I water 3 or 4 times a week in summer.  Also, I do liquid feed twice  a month. 

Winter is just dormant care, water maybe once a month November through February and no fert. 

SA people tell me the Waterburg area gets lots of rain, so they encouraged me to emulate that in my summer. 

The eugenes have all coned for me, too. 

I find tight shoes is best for container cycads.  I try to go wider, not deeper, for repotting.  But if there's a major tap root, there's no real choice but to go deeper, not wider in containers.  I don't cut tap roots.  Some people do cut them successfully, but I'm a coward on that front.

Words of wisdom!  Regarding cutting tap roots, I don't think you are a coward, just someone that realizes you don't take unnecessary risk for little gain.  I think the word that better applies is "wise".

[Tracy]

A flush sequence on this favorite over the last few weeks.  Still some additional growth happening in this flush, but this batch of photos starts on May 9th and runs through June 5th.

[Merlyn]

@Tracy I keep forgetting, is that your Arenarius x Woodii?

[Tracy]

2 hours ago, Merlyn said:

@Tracy I keep forgetting, is that your Arenarius x Woodii?

I should have included the description.  It is an Encephalaros (arenarius x latifrons) x latifrons.  So a back cross to get closer in appearance to latifrons while hopefully retaining a little bit of hybrid vigor.  I have two from the same seed batch and this one was the pick of the litter so to speak, always a little more vigorous than its siblings when it was younger and had a particular look that always attracted me.  I think there were between 15 and 20 that made it to the 3" to 4" caudex size which was the size they were released for sale.  I doubt I was the only one that watched this batch grow before they were released.  While all similar, each plant did have it's own personality as one might expect with a batch of hybrids.

[realarch]

Being on a quest to identify the cycads in my garden, I decided to check out the palm, cycad, bromeliad garden at UH Hilo in hope of finding some positive ID’s. I’ve been to the palm section many times but, was shocked to see how extensive the cycad garden was. I had never heard or seen many of the species located on a slope in a drainage ravine. Incidentally, the gardens were created by Don Hemmes, professor emeritus at the university, almost single handedly. Kudos Don for creating such a legacy. 

Whew, long winded. Anyway, I did find my favorite cycad. At least for the week. 

Macrozamia moorei 

[realarch]

Tracy, I did read your response to a post by PalmatierMeg about the limitations of growing the silver Encephalartos in Florida due to high rainfall and humidity, and poor drainage. Good drainage must be the key as you know what the rainfall and humidity in Hilo is like. These looked pretty good, or at least I thought so. 

I’ll take you over there on your next visit. 

Encephalartos lehmannii & horridus

Tim

[Merlyn]

@realarchmy guess is that the blues don't like the winter rain here in Floriduh.  I'm only guessing on this, because any of my blues (Horridus, Arenarius, Trispinosus, Lehmannii, and hybrids) have a tendency to get root or crown rot and die in the February-April time frame.  I'm not sure exactly when the rot starts, because I generally notice that it's not flushing in April-May and that's when I find the rot.  I've had some success with Nat x Horr, Aemulans x Lehmannii and Alt x Lehmannii in a raised sandy bed with zero supplemental irrigation.  Adding perlite or Turface MVP seems to be a bad idea, as they are both designed to retain moisture.  But all of the above is just a guess at this point, I'm still trying to figure it out in Floriduh.

[realarch]

Could it be the moisture combined with lower temperatures? Copious amounts of rain year around here in east Hawaii, but the temperatures are relatively warm winter and summer. Average high in summer is 83º (28c) and in winter 79º (26c). Lows, depending on elevation vary a bit more. 

Tim

[Merlyn]

17 hours ago, realarch said:

Could it be the moisture combined with lower temperatures? Copious amounts of rain year around here in east Hawaii, but the temperatures are relatively warm winter and summer. Average high in summer is 83º (28c) and in winter 79º (26c). Lows, depending on elevation vary a bit more. 

Tim

Yes, I suspect it's temperatures around freezing + rain.  In habitat I *think* most of the South Africa areas are dry in the winter.  So they might be fine with rain and 50F, but not rain and 30F.  It's only a guess on my part.  I have a couple of small Arenarius and am going to experiment to see if I can keep them going. 

[Silas_Sancona]

New Species Alert :

Posted May 8th on the Plantas Mexicanas Twitter Page,  Zamia magnifica  ...from Oaxaca.   Appears to be threatened / endangered..



 

[Navarro]

Lo vi en Instagram el mismo día de la publicación ,sería increíble poder cultivarla en un futuro.

Se encontraron cerca de donde es nativa z furfuracea por lo que tiene que tener una resistencia similar

[Silas_Sancona]

20 minutes ago, Navarro said:

Lo vi en Instagram el mismo día de la publicación ,sería increíble poder cultivarla en un futuro.

Se encontraron cerca de donde es nativa z furfuracea por lo que tiene que tener una resistencia similar

** Mi espanoles terrible, asi que por favor desnuda con mi -posiblemente horrible- traduccion, ja **

 Posible, aunque es nativa de Oaxaca, puede tolerar menos frio en comparicon  con la Zamia furfurccea, Pero, nunca se sabe. 

Esperemos que algunos jardines puedan probar semillas si se les distribuye alguna en el futuro..  Especies ordenadas.

 

[Manalto]

A cycad sold to me as C. debaoensis (possibly another species?) has been growing and getting killed back by the winter for a few years now, never amounting to more than two fronds. I thought it was a goner this year after a December freeze and repeated trampling by workmen. Nope, still here:

Edited June 8, 2023 by Manalto

[DippyD]

My current favorites….

[Tracy]

1 hour ago, DippyD said:

My current favorites….

Always love to see a latifrons flush!

 

On 6/6/2023 at 10:39 PM, realarch said:

Could it be the moisture combined with lower temperatures? Copious amounts of rain year around here in east Hawaii, but the temperatures are relatively warm winter and summer. Average high in summer is 83º (28c) and in winter 79º (26c). Lows, depending on elevation vary a bit more. 

Tim

Drainage may be a factor too Tim.  Your volcanic soil drains well.  I think I recall seeing some nice blue cycsds in Jerry's HPP garden next door to where we stayed too.  Many if not all the gardens I visited on the big island and previously on Oahu and Kauai also have topographical variations which help drainage for plants in the higher positions.  Florida being flatter with often shallow water tables most likely plays into why Merlyn is having better success with potted specimens than in ground with the blues.

I use drip irrigation but notice the blue color fades on older retained flushes compared to newer flushes.  For plants holding multiple flushes there is a gradation as the waxy coat that gives the blue tint washes away over time.  I was told that overhead and direct spray accelerates the washing off of the waxy coating.

[Merlyn]

5 hours ago, Tracy said:

Drainage may be a factor too Tim.  Your volcanic soil drains well.  I think I recall seeing some nice blue cycsds in Jerry's HPP garden next door to where we stayed too.  Many if not all the gardens I visited on the big island and previously on Oahu and Kauai also have topographical variations which help drainage for plants in the higher positions.  Florida being flatter with often shallow water tables most likely plays into why Merlyn is having better success with potted specimens than in ground with the blues.

I use drip irrigation but notice the blue color fades on older retained flushes compared to newer flushes.  For plants holding multiple flushes there is a gradation as the waxy coat that gives the blue tint washes away over time.  I was told that overhead and direct spray accelerates the washing off of the waxy coating.

I think the high water table is definitely a factor, it's only about 5-6 feet down in my neighborhood.  I've seen some talk of "dry cycling" palms, but I honestly don't think that exists around my house.  In the agave bed I was planting about 10 new agaves in May.  It hadn't rained in almost 2 weeks, and the top 2-3 inches of soil was bone dry.  But below that it was consistently moist.  I'll have to check this winter to see if that's consistent all year.  If so, that may explain why I have done okay with E. Nat x Horr in a 1 foot raised pure sand bed...but any "blues" consistently die anywhere else.  That bed's sand also appears to be somewhat hygrophobic, which is kind of weird.

Regarding the blue coloring, all of my "blues" in pots are pretty much green by the middle of June.  They'll grow out a new flush that turns reasonably blue in April or May (if in full sun) but after a few weeks of daily afternoon thunderstorms the blue is mostly gone.  Dioon Edule "Queretaro Blue" stays blue a bit longer, but they all inevitably turn green by the middle of summer.  I visited Tom Broome's Cycad Jungle a couple of years ago.  He had some Arenarius/Trispinosus/Horridus and others in an open-sided greenhouse with a glass roof.  So they were fully exposed to the Floriduh humidity, but no direct rain.  They were pretty blue, though maybe not as impressive as @DippyD's collection.

[Tracy]

On 6/5/2023 at 5:34 PM, Merlyn said:

@Tracy I keep forgetting, is that your Arenarius x Woodii?

Since the  flush wasn't completely opened before I left for vacation, I wanted to give the almost hardened off end result of that flush on the Encephalaros (arenarius x latifrons) x latifrons.  It has a very formal looking structure to both the plant and the leaves with the tightly stacked leaflets.  I love blue on cycads.... but I love a deep green too.

[Tracy]

Mother and child flushing sequence along with a pup.  I love the mother plant, but it sure is exciting to see her child flush at the same time! The "child" is an Encephalartos (horridus x woodii) x (horridus x woodii).

[Tracy]

On 6/27/2023 at 4:33 PM, Tracy said:

I love blue on cycads.... but I love a deep green too.

I love shiny green leaves, especially after a good washing from rain.

[Tracy]

This lizards favorite cycad today. 

[Tracy]

On 2/7/2024 at 4:59 PM, Tracy said:

I love shiny green leaves, especially after a good washing from rain.

... and it is hard to beat a Royal Flush!

[Billeb]

On 2/7/2024 at 4:59 PM, Tracy said:

 

@Tracy what’s the cross on this one? That’s gotta be the finest example of leaf stacking I’ve ever seen.  👌

-dale 

[Tracy]

19 hours ago, Billeb said:

@Tracy what’s the cross on this one? That’s gotta be the finest example of leaf stacking I’ve ever seen.  👌

-dale 

Dale, this is the same cycad posted in the string above from 2023, an Encephalaros (arenarius x latifrons) x latifrons.  It still is not mature enough to have coned, but perhaps in the next couple of years.  The back cross with latifrons seems to have really taken it's appearance in that direction as opposed to the first generation E. arenarius x latifrons.  The advantage over pure E, latifrons for typical gardeners is that it retains the hybrid vigor, reducing the patience factor.

[Merlyn]

I've driven past this particular cycad many times over the past 20ish years, and never even noticed it!  On my way to buy some bamboo the other week I spotted it was a Cycas Thouarsii with about 6 feet of clear trunk, sitting in a lot in a kind of run-down neighborhood.  In this July 2018 Google Maps photo it's a bit untrimmed, with tons of pups all over the trunk.  Today it looks a lot better, I will have to try and get a photo. 

It's been there since at least June 2013, but the earlier streetview photos are too fuzzy to know when it was planted:

And it was there in May 2011 with burnt fronds.  I'm guessing it was planted in the 1990s...

[Tracy]

On 5/6/2024 at 9:17 AM, Tracy said:

.. and it is hard to beat a Royal Flush!

The flush continues to push....  I just love the appearance of this plant.  Based on caudex size, I wonder how many more years it will be before I get a cone and find out if it is male or female.  I have a second from the same seed batch which is a fraction of the size.  Still attractive, but a good demonstration of the diversity of plants growth patterns.  I think the performance difference might be even more exaggerated because it is a hybrid.

I added a photo of its sibling.

[AP Southsea UK]

Kew garden in London, UK is trying to preserve as many of the endangered Cycads in the world as possible so I started to post as many of their specimens as I could find on plantnet.org:

https://identify.plantnet.org/k-world-flora/observations/1021738686
Cycas revoluta Thunb. (Japan resident, China extinct)
🙂 Japan (Kyushu, Nansei-shoto) Extant
😥 China (Fujian province) Possibly Extinct 

Photos taken outside the Temperate House, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, London, TW9 3AE

Cycas revoluta Thunb. Sago palm, king sago, sago cycad, is a species of gymnosperm in the family Cycadaceae. "Sago palm" is a misnomer as cycads are not palms, although the only similarity between the two is that they look similar and both produce seeds.
It is one of several species used for the production of sago (starch from various palms), as well as sold & exported as an ornamental plant. 
Of all the cycads, Cycas revoluta is the most popular in cultivation. It is seen in almost all botanical gardens, in both temperate and tropical locations.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycas_revoluta
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/129783-Cycas-revoluta
https://www.cycadlist.org/taxon.php?Taxon_ID=191
https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:328823-2/images

ban shou Cycas revoluta has been listed as Least Concern when assessed for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2022.
https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/42080/69155560
BUT
The overall population is large and estimations of several hundred thousand plants  based almost exclusively on Japan. The overall decline in Cycas revoluta is difficult to assess as it is now possibly extinct in China. 
There has been massive seed collecting from natural habitats and sawn-off trunks separated from their leaves are both exported in large numbers for decorative purposes. Its habitat has also been cleared in some areas of China.
Cycas revoluta is widely distributed through the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan and also on the southern parts of Kyushu Island. It was previously reported from the coastal Fujian Province of China (Chen and Stevenson 1999) but recent references to cycads in China regard the Chinese population as locally extinct (Xi et al. 2022).
___________________________________________________

[bubba]

I am working my way through this very interesting thread on Cycads. I will post a Cycad located at ANSG, which likely has already been discussed:

[bubba]

[Pete]

Encephalartos Horridus

steytlerville st

George Sparkman plant 

[Pete]

Encephalartos Nubimontanus 

George Sparkman‘s collection

[Tracy]

21 hours ago, Pete said:

Encephalartos Horridus

steytlerville st

George Sparkman plant 

Hi Pete, I would love to see a side view of the leaves and leaflets.  I have one that I got from George and planted it in 2018.  It was a good size 15 gallon plant back when I put it in the ground.  Here is mine toward the end of a flush in early July this year.

[Pete]

Here’s some more pictures Tracy thank you

[Tracy]

Still young and only a two leaf flush, but it has been fun to watch and as the leaves get closer to hardening off for this flush, this is my favorite cycad in the garden today.  The sequence is over a 43 day timeline.

[Tracy]

I am going back to a hybrid that I have two specimens from the same seed lot.  I planted the first one I got and waited a little before planting the second specimen.  The first was quite literally the pick of the litter from the seed batch.  I have written before how I watched this seed batch grow and waited with baited breath for George Sparkman to release them.  I can confess now, that he wasn't going to release them when I pressured him into letting me get the choice plant of the bunch.

The second plant was one of the last to go.  Now, several years later with both in the ground for a while, it is interesting to see the difference in caudex size.  The smaller of the two, the second purchase, has always waited until late in the season to flush and is flushing now.  The other is one of my first to flush each year.  Compare the caudex size with the same Rainbow size Large sandal in the photo.

Anyone else with experience with Cycads having such different growth rates and habits from the same seed lot, grown in the same soil, and very similar sun exposure?