Zamia roezlii

[RainForestt Robert]

Happy New Year to everyone.  One of my favorite cycads is Zamia roezlii.  I have two, the leaves get quite long and the leaflets are corrugated.  They are generally very attractive, but when flushing new leaves they are absolutely magnificent with their bronze/gold? (your choice) new leaves.  The color lasts for several weeks, quite a long time.  If you have a tropical climate, I highly recommend Z. roezlii.

[LJG]

This is one of my favorite Zamias. Everytime I go to RSN here in SoCal and see them in the Palmetum, I wish they would grow here. Very nice cycad.

[BS Man about Palms]

(LJG @ Jan. 03 2008,18:14)

QUOTE

This is one of my favorite Zamias. Everytime I go to RSN here in SoCal and see them in the Palmetum, I wish they would grow here. Very nice cycad.

Maybe I shouldn't leave my little 1 gal out side then??

[mnorell]

I have been testing one of these all year here in Natchez and I am absolutely shocked to discover that this is a very cool- and cold-tolerant Zamia! Contrary to several statements I've seen in the past that this must have a tropical climate, I've kept a specimen all year here (until the horrible freeze just experienced) in a 2-gallon pot out of doors...it has grown beautifully and kept its foliage in perfect condition through the sustained chill of the last 2-3 months, a few freezes as long as 7 hours or so in length, to 30 degrees, under canopy. But it does not seem the slightest bit bothered by any of this. It's in the greenhouse yesterday and today but will be back outside tomorrow. There's not one spot on the foliage, it is bright, glossy green and the plant is healthy as can be. This is good news for me, and I hope for any other Zamia-lovers out there!

[LJG]

Growing something in a pot with the ability to take it in during freeze will not prove long term feasibility on a plant living in the ground year after year. To me Zamia roezlii is like Zamia skinneri, manicata and dressleri and other very beautiful tropical Zamia living in greenhouses only. I would love to be proven wrong of course.

[Walter John]

I want one of these Zamias I've decided and I may acquire one tomorrow.

Here's a young one from the pacsoa site:

[aussiearoids]

Wal , these are very fast growers up here , and several people now have seeding plants . Richie has seedlings for $6 , think Mike has some kicking around . They look amazing once established in the ground .

[RainForestt Robert]

Wal, the young seedling on the pacsoa site is the same as in post one.

[Jeff Searle]

Bob,

     You are right, these are a really beautiful specie of Zamia. When they flush their new growth, it's something to look at. I have about 3 large ones that I will try to plant out in the yard this spring, and a few smaller ones to add to them when ready.

Jeff

[mnorell]

The element of surprise in my testing thus far has been that the plant would sustain such long-term chill (mostly temps 30s-40s-50s, similar to SF Bay Area averages) during the fall and early winter. I maintain my furfuracea by mulching over the stem in winter to keep the bud above freezing, and keeping the plant under light canopy, the result being partial defoliation in a hard freeze. This happened in the 15-hour freeze yesterday (to 23.3F) here, I lost about half the leaves.

My understanding was that some of the really tropical and equatorial Zamias need warmth (and warm soil) year-round to survive and thrive. But mine is containerized and above ground with root-zone constantly enduring temps in the 30s and 40s at night, sometimes that cold during the day, much colder than it would experience were it planted in the ground. And it still looks like a million bucks. Is it just that the long hot-season here with warm, humid nights mitigates the chill factor in winter by increasing the carbohydrate-store in the stem? If not, it may be possible for those in SoCal or even the Bay Area; and perhaps low desert in shade. Perhaps others have experience with this not being able to survive the year-round coolness in coastal California. And I wonder if anyone else has tested this in other 9a Gulf States/SE/North Florida areas. I personally am buoyed by the performance of this one to date here in Natchez. I say try it!

[LJG]

Even great cycad growers here in SoCal do not have this outside. I know they have been tested. This is a beautiful plant and people try to get things like this to live. I do not have his book here at work, but I am pretty sure Loran Whitelock even stated this plant and others from similar rain forest habitat (Zamia skinneri for example) can only be greenhouse grown in SoCal.

Also, furfuracea is not even close to a similar cycad, both in requirements, cold hardiness and habitat. It is like saying because you got Dypsis decipiens to grow in your garden, you should be able to get Dypsis lastelliana too.

Honestly I wish you luck. This is an amazing plant, especially when large. If you get it to grow where you are at I will be jealous for sure! Come back and let us know after a few years with it being planted in your garden.

[mnorell]

Len--

My statement re furfuracea/maritima was only regarding the frost-sensitivity of that plant, and that keeping the supposedly freeze-sensitive stem and bud subterranean may result in partial or complete (in heavy frost) or partial defoliation (under canopy in lengthy hard freezes), but the plant lives on and flushes easily in the spring. As opposed to, say, floridana/integrifolia, that has foliage capable of withstanding freezes and frosts.

I didn't mean to equate furfuracea/maritima with roezlii, only to mention that on furfuracea simple protection allows the plant to survive; and that with roezlii, not only the foliage, but also the root-zone in a two-gallon container, took not only months of chilly temps but two long freezes to 30F under some canopy. I would expect that furfuracea might be able to endure such treatment, but not roezlii. I had actually forgotten the roezlii was outside and normally wouldn't have left it out for this endurance-test.

Do you know what the weakness of this species has proven to be in California? I just wonder if it is general cool-tolerance even for a period of a few months, or merely prolonged coolness as occurs in California, without the heat that perhaps might allow it to recover and build its reserves? Does it not flush much there? As I recall mine put on a couple of flushes this year and I really have neglected it...it has taken full sun at times and also been in deep shade, in well-drained potting mix with plenty of sand.

In any event I'll post in future regarding any further developments with this one.

[LJG]

From what I gather, it is simply the same thing that effects most other really tropical stuff here in SoCal - the prolonged period of cool weather mixed in with a few freezes every now and again.

[Walter John]

I got him this morning. I'll plant it after I finish posting here and show you an inground pic as well. I'm excited yes siree  

Cost 18 aussie clams

[LJG]

Wal, it took you 24 hours from saying you 'wanted' one to actually 'owning' one. You are getting slow.

I have never seen them that small. Kind of looks like Zamia skinneri when small.

[Walter John]

She's in and there's rain on it's way, oh the bliss. Right near a Joey palm, for company of course. These guys tend to look after each other.

How's that miss Pat ?

[BS Man about Palms]

OK, I'll bring mine in...... wait.......OK, I'm back.    I hadn't looked in a while, not overly happy, but then again, never really was.

[Kris]

Dear Bob  

the still of yours in first post is so beautiful my eyes fails to accept it as natural..it more looks like a art or chinese painting..lovely cycas,thanks for the still.

love,

Kris  

[Jeff Searle]

(Wal @ Jan. 04 2008,20:12)

QUOTE

I got him this morning. I'll plant it after I finish posting here and show you an inground pic as well. I'm excited yes siree  

Cost 18 aussie clams

Wal,

    Love the red shirt...  and oh, your deck there is pretty nice too.

Jeff

[ariscott]

I think I got one... never knew what it was   . I have been told they like shades.... so still stuck in the jungle.

Regards, Ari

[Scott Cohen]

i have a monster that just coned, (Male   ) anyone have a female?

Ps. they dont like being dry, i left him on the back porch for to long and he dropped most

of his leaflets

[Walter John]

(Scott Cohen @ Jan. 09 2008,10:54)

QUOTE

i have a monster that just coned, (Male   ) anyone have a female?

Ps. they dont like being dry, i left him on the back porch for to long and he dropped most

of his leaflets

Any chance of a photo Scott ?

[Really full garden]

I think Zamia roezlii is a great looking cycad.I have read that it is also salt tolerant as well.Has anyone tried it near the sea?

                                                                    Scott

[Scott Cohen]

i cant seem to resize my photo's, ill figure out how to send one eventually

[Merlyn]

I'm kind of necromancing with an old thread here, but it was the one with the most relevant discussion on temperature with Roezlii.  I'm in a cold 9B/warm 9a borderline area in FL, and I read that these do pretty well in South FL.  Does anyone have experience trying to grow these in Central FL or in colder areas?  I routinely hit upper 20s but very rarely at 25F and almost never colder.  So I was thinking this might be my best bet for one of the plicate/grooved-leaf Zamias, where ones like Nesophila wouldn't have a chance in the ground.  Any recent experience with this species?

[aussiearoids]

This one still kicking planted out .

[aussiearoids]

Big ones at Flecker Bot Gdn in Cairns .. They have lots of excellent plantings.