Current Favorite Cycad?

[Tracy]

2 hours ago, 5150cycad said:

This Encephalartos Princeps caught my eye the other day. 

Nice, well grown and looking good Brian!  I love the very formal structure E. princeps have from a relatively small size and continuing through when they get quite large!  Add to the structure the impeccable color and you have a winner.

[5150cycad]

@PalmatierMeg & @Tracy

Thank you. This is my favorite princeps in my collection. 

[Tracy]

I returned from a business trip out of town last night to enjoy progression in a colorful flush.  Ceratozamia robusta showing how colorful their flushes can be.  At least last night it was the Cycad of the garden!

[Palm Tree Jim]

On 10/4/2018, 1:33:09, 5150cycad said:

This Encephalartos Princeps caught my eye the other day. 

Princeps are one of my favorites.

Well grown Bryan.

[Tracy]

The colorful collars on this Encephalartos lehmannii really jumped out at me during the rains.  The leaf collars with the orange highlights contrast nicely against the lehmannii's silvery blue leaflets.  You can see how the waxy substance on the leaflets has worn off the bottom oldest flush.  I'm sure I'll see more of that washing effect on all my blue cycads after this winter's rains are done!

[Josue Diaz]

On 10/13/2018 at 5:54 AM, Tracy said:

I returned from a business trip out of town last night to enjoy progression in a colorful flush.  Ceratozamia robusta showing how colorful their flushes can be.  At least last night it was the Cycad of the garden!

I planted two of these this last year. They've each thrown new leaves one at a time, but I'm really looking forward to a big flush like that. 

Edited March 5, 2019 by Josue Diaz

[Tracy]

21 hours ago, Josue Diaz said:

They've each thrown new leaves one at a time, but I'm really looking forward to a big flush like that. 

Josue, those look like pretty good size plants already, so I wouldn't be surprised if the next flush you see a multiple leaves pushed.  Mine had a slight setback immediately after putting it in the ground after year's of pot life, but the following year did much better.  Ironically, I had the opposite experience with a Ceratozamia mexicana that was about the same age, had lived in pots for over a dozen years, and doubled the number of leaves as soon as I put it in the ground.  So the behavior after planting can be unpredictable in my experience.  Both were planted in the same soil, about the same time of year, in similar light situations.   Eventually you will get some big colorful flushes out of them!

[Tracy]

Cycas debaoensis showing no signs of cool damage and apparently thoroughly enjoying a wet winter.  It certainly has a tropical feel to it.

[Marius]

My current favorite is E middelburgensis. Here are pics of my two plants. 

[Tracy]

10 hours ago, Marius said:

My current favorite is E middelburgensis. Here are pics of my two plants.

Very nice plants Marius!  I have found this species to be a pretty slow growing species when compared to some of the others in the eugene-maraisii complex, although based on the look they are worth the patience.  I got mine as a 1 leaf seedling a few years back, so it's still pretty small.  How have yours grown when compared to dyerianus, nubimontanus, cupidus, etc.?

[Marius]

Hi Tracy. Thank you. 

I actually planted my two middelburgensis at the same time as two cupidus, a nubimontanus and a deyerianus. That was 3 and a half years ago. The smaller of my middelburgensis has flushed every year since planted (with the number of leaves per flush increasing each time) the bigger one has only once thus far. 

The cupidus and nubi flushed this summer for the first time ( though they have produced numerous suckers over three years. 

The deyerianus has flushed once, but it’s suckers all produced leaves annually. 

I don’t have Eugene maraisii. 

I’d say that my smaller middelburgensis has been the fastest of the above lot. 

Compared to my other encephalartos the lot above are slow. My natalensis all grew from three leaf seedlings into plants with 20-35cm dia stems in the same period of time. 

[5150cycad]

On 3/8/2019 at 8:46 PM, Marius said:

My current favorite is E middelburgensis. Here are pics of my two plants. 

Marius,

You have a very nice selection of cycads. I still can’t believe how big those Freddy gs are that you posted. I know a couple of guys that would kill to have those in their garden. All your Cycads look very happy. 

[Merlyn]

Right now my favorite is one that I don't have, a Dioon Rzedowskii.  I saw this one at Leu Gardens on Saturday and I neeeeeeed one!   

[Marius]

2 hours ago, 5150cycad said:

Marius,

You have a very nice selection of cycads. I still can’t believe how big those Freddy gs are that you posted. I know a couple of guys that would kill to have those in their garden. All your Cycads look very happy. 

Hi Merlyn. Thank you. They do seem happy. I have been in love with Cycads since I was in high school. 

[Marius]

Thanks 5150   

 

[Tracy]

23 hours ago, 5150cycad said:

You have a very nice selection of cycads

Speaking of nice collections, any cycads looking particularly good in your garden after all the rain Brian?  I'm sure you can come up with something that has enjoyed the extra water.  I suspect that once we do get a warm up, that a lot of pent up juice will translate into some nice flushes!  I guess I shouldn't a$$ume that weather will warm anytime soon though after so many surprises this winter.

[5150cycad]

5 hours ago, Tracy said:

Speaking of nice collections, any cycads looking particularly good in your garden after all the rain Brian?  I'm sure you can come up with something that has enjoyed the extra water.  I suspect that once we do get a warm up, that a lot of pent up juice will translate into some nice flushes!  I guess I shouldn't a$$ume that weather will warm anytime soon though after so many surprises this winter.

With all the recent rain the weeds have taken over. Waiting for the weather to warm up before I even think about weeding. Here is a picture of an arenarius that stood out to me today. Maybe just because of all the green weeds around it. Can’t wait for the weather to warm up. It’s been an unusual winter this year. 

[Palm Tree Jim]

Nice blue on that plant Bryan!

[cycadjungle]

     Over all, my favorite cycad is Ceratozamia hildae. It looks like bamboo, but it is a cycad. It grows straight up so it doesn't use a lot of space. It may be one of the most cold hardy cycads. One person has told me they had 12f with no leaf damage. It is pest free. They mature in 5 years. The leaflets are arranged in clusters looking like a bow tie. This is a plant that can be grown outside, all over Florida.

     Cycas debaoensis could be my favorite cycad, but it has its faults. They grow fast and look beautiful. The faults, it gets Asian scale, (which is a problem here in Florida) and can burn its leaves in the lower to middle 20s. If it wasn't for its faults, this would be my favorite cycad.

[Darold Petty]

I have very limited space in my tiny,  urban garden.  I have three plants of Ceratozamia hildae, growing well.  I just moved them up from 4 inch pots into the standard '1-gallon'  (6x7 inches).

Could I pot all three into one larger diameter pot, perhaps 10 or 12 inches in diameter?  This would be helpful for my space constraints, and result in a more full look.  

Please advise,... thanks,   

[cycadjungle]

You could for now, but put them as far apart as you can. They will get 4-5 inches in diameter, so maybe a 15 gallon, which is about 15 inches would hold them for decades.

[cycadjungle]

     If usability was not as important as just a cool plant, Ceratozamia euryphyllidia would be my favorite cycad. This was my holy grail plant for 20 years until Loran Whitelock became the first to make seedlings available in cultivation. His plants will never be bred again, so it is important for those who bought seedlings from him, to make more seeds and plants for others to use in future breeding. These plants will get 15 feet tall with leaflets even wider than they are now. Even when I sell all my cycads, these and a few others will stay. These plants are just gorgeous!

[5150cycad]

1 hour ago, cycadjungle said:

     If usability was not as important as just a cool plant, Ceratozamia euryphyllidia would be my favorite cycad. This was my holy grail plant for 20 years until Loran Whitelock became the first to make seedlings available in cultivation. His plants will never be bred again, so it is important for those who bought seedlings from him, to make more seeds and plants for others to use in future breeding. These plants will get 15 feet tall with leaflets even wider than they are now. Even when I sell all my cycads, these and a few others will stay. These plants are just gorgeous!

That leaf is incredible. What a cool looking ceratazamia. 

[Tracy]

On 3/14/2019 at 12:17 PM, cycadjungle said:

 If usability was not as important as just a cool plant, Ceratozamia euryphyllidia would be my favorite cycad. This was my holy grail plant for 20 years until Loran Whitelock became the first to make seedlings available in cultivation. His plants will never be bred again, so it is important for those who bought seedlings from him, to make more seeds and plants for others to use in future breeding. These plants will get 15 feet tall with leaflets even wider than they are now. Even when I sell all my cycads, these and a few others will stay. These plants are just gorgeous! 

Definitely a holy grail plant and spectacular in person with those leaflets!  I've been tempted   on this species, but worry how it would fare outside here in So Cal.

[cycadjungle]

They are doing great in certain parts of so cal. Closer to the coast, they are growing better than mine are. Farther east, where it gets hotter and more dry, not so well. They will burn leaves at around 23-24. I keep mine in the greenhouse. I'll add this picture, next phase on next generation just starting. Picture didn't load.

[cycadjungle]

[Palm Tree Jim]

10 hours ago, Tracy said:

Definitely a holy grail plant and spectacular in person with those leaflets!  I've been tempted   on this species, but worry how it would fare outside here in So Cal.

I'm game to try this cycad!

Provide some canopy/protection and away we go.

[Tracy]

I was walking by an enclosure for a large iguana or lizard from Cuba when I noticed on the edge of the enclosure an unusual to see cycad from Cuba:  Microcycas calcoma. 

[Tracy]

This still small Encephalartos arenarius x latifrons is showing a bit more character with the newest flush.  I have two and this one seems to be the more interesting at this stage.

[5150cycad]

18 minutes ago, Tracy said:

This still small Encephalartos arenarius x latifrons is showing a bit more character with the newest flush.  I have two and this one seems to be the more interesting at this stage.

Very nice Tracy. I have noticed that all my latifrons hybrids seem to show more more of the latifrons characteristics with each flush. Here is a picture of my blue arenarius x latifrons. The leaves of the last flush started to recurve. Look forward to seeing all these latifrons hybrids mature. 

[Tracy]

3 hours ago, 5150cycad said:

Look forward to seeing all these latifrons hybrids mature. 

I like the width of the leaflets that yours is showing.  My arenarius x latifrons have had more elongated leaves, like the arenarius parent thus far, so I was encouraged by the latest more twisted and slightly less elongated leaves.  As you observe, they change over time with each flush, and mine are still very juvenile plants.  Plenty of reasons for optimism!

[Tracy]

A tight stacking

is very attracting!

[Cycadnewbie]

Absolutely beautiful!... how big is the caudex? All your plants look super healthy and happy.

[Tracy]

1 hour ago, Cycadnewbie said:

how big is the caudex?

I haven't measured with calipers, but I would eyeball it at about 5" in diameter right now.

[Cycadnewbie]

Mine is a little smaller and flushing right now. It is about 4"...  This hybrid is at the very top of my favorite ones. Thank you for sharing the photos.  

[Merlyn]

Usually my favorite is whichever one that is flushing, but right now it's this giant Encephalartos Hildebrandtii that I bought from PT member ChuckG last weekend.  It looks a little rough at the moment with some sunburn from our recent rain-free and brutally hot spring, and a lot of damaged leaves from moving this ~500lb monster in the back of my van.  It's utterly dwarfing the somewhat-too-close Sylvester on the left.  I'm counting on the Sylvester to outgrow the Encephalartos in a year or two and provide some shade to the East.  I'm going to transplant a couple of big Ice Cream Bananas to the West (right) side to give it some afternoon shade, because right now it's getting blasted from 2-5pm. 

[Tracy]

10 hours ago, Merlyn2220 said:

right now it's this giant Encephalartos Hildebrandtii that I bought from PT member ChuckG last weekend.

Yup, that is a big boy (girl).  If it gets fried in your sun, at least it is just another flush away from green leaves.  The use of banana's for shade is a good call because they are so quick and yet easily removed when you don't need shade anymore.  I have seen this species planted in some public gardens but can't recall seeing any in local private gardens.

[Merlyn]

22 minutes ago, Tracy said:

Yup, that is a big boy (girl).  If it gets fried in your sun, at least it is just another flush away from green leaves.  The use of banana's for shade is a good call because they are so quick and yet easily removed when you don't need shade anymore.  I have seen this species planted in some public gardens but can't recall seeing any in local private gardens.

It's a girl, Chuck cut off two really big cones before moving it.  They were about 30lb each, so it was better to remove them than risk breaking them off in transit and damaging the caudex.  Plus it was in a ~100 gallon trash can and nearly impossible to move by hand.  

I have about 10 species of bananas, and by a factor of at least 3 the fastest growing is the Ice Cream.  One went from 2 feet tall in February to over 12 feet tall now with 2 offsets.  I'm going to move it over into the sun line this weekend, along with two other 4-5' Ice Creams.  I like using the bananas for instant shade, I've moved them all over the place and never had one die.  The worst damage is usually 1-2 weeks of setback before they start growing like weeds again!

[Tracy]

I love the plumose leaflets on Encephalartos caffer and this little one flushing is just oozing with appeal right now.

[GDLWyverex]

I am really taken with this one

zamia nesophila

 

Richard