Cycad cones and flushes

[Tracy]

On 7/5/2019 at 2:52 PM, Tracy said:

First cone on this Encephalartos trispinosis.  I'll be interested to see if it is male or female.

This Encephalartos trispinosis is still pushing the cone out and it looks more and more male to me.

[Cikas]

My Dioon edule flush progession. Does anyone can identify the variety/type of this Dioon edule from these photos? Flush is kinda purple in color.

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

Photos are difficult due to the color variance but it is either a Querterro or Rio Verde.  Post another picture once they fan out and we can tell.

[JubaeaMan138]

My queretaro blues are very very blue this looks more like my rio verdes . 

[Tracy]

A three cone mess on a female Encephalartos lebomboensis.  Time to tidy her up and pick up all the seeds!

[Tracy]

On 7/5/2019 at 2:52 PM, Tracy said:

It makes me also wonder if my Encephalartos turneri is getting ready to cone, because it is currently pushing out a light flush of 5 leaves.

 

On 7/5/2019 at 2:52 PM, Tracy said:

Well the light flush was a telltale of an imminent emerging cone or cones.  I can now see the twisted up aborted leaves of this flush with just a little bit of the pale green/yellow cones poking through the furry mess.

[Cikas]

On 7/22/2019 at 7:01 PM, TexasColdHardyPalms said:

Photos are difficult due to the color variance but it is either a Querterro or Rio Verde.  Post another picture once they fan out and we can tell.

Will these photos help more?

 

[5150cycad]

1 hour ago, Cikas said:

Will these photos help more?

 

I would guess Rio Verde. 

[NOT A TA]

On 7/22/2019 at 7:39 PM, Tracy said:

A three cone mess on a female Encephalartos lebomboensis.  Time to tidy her up and pick up all the seeds!

Thats a job for the shop vac!

[Sr. Califas]

Pretty neat, Enc. nat x tri flushing yellow unlike any of my others. 

[Meangreen94z]

On 7/26/2019 at 8:37 AM, Cikas said:

Will these photos help more?

 

I agree. My Rio Verde flushes Brown. My Queretaro is light blue 

Edited July 29, 2019 by Meangreen94z

[5150cycad]

I was at the San Diego zoo this afternoon with my kids today and thought I would share pictures of the Encephalartos Woodii and Encephalartos Latifrons. The woodii was pushing a full head of new leaves while the latifrons looked like it was ready to do something. Beautiful cycads and a must see if you visit the zoo. 

[Cikas]

One of mine Encephalartos munchii is flushing.

 

[Josh-O]

trans x woodii putting up a tidy flush

aranarius x woodii flush now hardening off

 

[Josh-O]

Dueling Inopinus cones. It never gets old looking at these

 

[Josh-O]

some random blue's are hardening off from their recent flushes

 

[Firepalm]

Nice plants Josh! That super keeled blue Longi is a stunner!

[Josh-O]

21 hours ago, Firepalm said:

Nice plants Josh! That super keeled blue Longi is a stunner!

Thanks Buddy!! Swing by the nursery. I have lots of new stuff

[Josh-O]

21 hours ago, Firepalm said:

Nice plants Josh! That super keeled blue Longi is a stunner!

Its actually A eugene

[Tracy]

On 7/31/2019 at 8:40 AM, Josh-O said:

A very nice match.  Do you think they will start dating soon?  Looks like the male is pushing out a pup or two at the base, while your female has remained solitary.

[Tracy]

Another of my first time to cone is yet one more hybrid: Encephalartos natalensis x arenarius.  Its interesting to note some similarities between this and my E arenarius x woodii.  Both plants have a tremendous amount of wool around new flushes or cones, and both have exceptionally shiny green leaves.  The nat x arenarius is pictured, but still a bit early for me to determine if male or female, but I'm leaning toward male cones especially since it is pushing a pair as opposed to just one.

[Tracy]

My wife provides perspective on this female Cycas thouarsii which is hardening off a flush while retaining it's last last set of seeds (not pollinated on this plant).  The base on this one seems to be thicker than my others, but this is the oldest one I have growing.  The unpollinated seeds appear smaller than the ones on the plants I have attempted to pollinate.

[Firepalm]

On 8/1/2019 at 7:26 AM, Josh-O said:

Its actually A eugene

Ha my bad Josh.  Figured it was something special.  Definitely a beauty!

I'll hit you up in the next couple weeks and see if I can set up a time to come by the nursery. 

[JubaeaMan138]

This is a offset female true blue arenarius . Got this a few years back and it sat and did absolutely nothing I actually planted when I got it and dug it up last year because it sat for so long without doing anything wanted to make sure it wasn’t rotting underneath the soil when I dug it up it was nice to find it was loaded with roots . Started flushing finally last week 

[Tracy]

11 hours ago, JubaeaMan138 said:

it sat for so long without doing anything wanted to make sure it wasn’t rotting underneath the soil when I dug it up it was nice to find it was loaded with roots . Started flushing finally last week 

It is always a relief when a cycad has sat for a long time and it suddenly let's you know its still alive by pushing a flush.  I think offsets may have a tendency to do this.  I have an Encephartos dyerianus offset that stalled for a couple of years.  It flushed a nice flush last summer and then is just hardening off the flush from this summer.  I think it just takes them a little more time to get established and develop a root system which is appropriate to the caudex.  Hopefully yours has enough roots that it will continue popping out flushes normally!

[Tracy]

Male triplets on this Encephalartos nat x horridus.  It gave me a nice flush this time before pushing out these cones.  Ironically, the other one which only had a partial flush only pushed one cone.   It is interesting to see how sibling plants perform just a dozen feet apart.

[5150cycad]

On 8/10/2019 at 8:01 PM, Tracy said:

Male triplets on this Encephalartos nat x horridus.  It gave me a nice flush this time before pushing out these cones.  Ironically, the other one which only had a partial flush only pushed one cone.   It is interesting to see how sibling plants perform just a dozen feet apart.

Very nice Tracy. How big are the two plants? I have a couple pretty large Nat x horridus that should be coning soon. 

[Missi]

I can finally contribute to this thread! 

The Zamia imperialis I got a couple months ago just popped this little cone bud out 

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

2nd year in a row. Cycas cairnsiana.  Seed from last year still on the plant. 

[Tracy]

On 8/12/2019 at 7:14 AM, 5150cycad said:

Very nice Tracy. How big are the two plants? I have a couple pretty large Nat x horridus that should be coning soon. 

Brian I can't remember how many years they have coned, but at least 4 that I can recall off the top of my head.  I used a size Large Rainbow sandal in the photo of the one with the more visible caudex due to surrounding plantings or lack thereof.  Hopefully if yours are holding off they will be female.  It seems that my Encephalartos that cone male cone younger.  Not sure if it's a coincidence, a perception I have or something real.  Good luck either way.

[Tracy]

On 8/15/2019 at 6:20 AM, TexasColdHardyPalms said:

Seed from last year still on the plant. 

When I tried zooming in, it looks like some of the seed is larger and some smaller from the one's that set last year.  Hopefully you tried pollinating it and are going to have some success with a few!

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

@Tracy Yes, those were pollinated with Debaoensis pollen.  The new ones will be pollinated with Bifida pollen.

[yeye]

Have you got a good rate of fertile seeds with this promising cross ?

 

[JeffP]

Arenarius blue and D angustifolium cones

[Merlyn]

My first flush starting on this Encephalartos Ituriensis from PT member ChuckG!  It looks like three are moving so far, and possibly 1 or 2 more are just starting to push out.  I planted this one in February and it's been looking on the edge of flushing for about 2 months.  2 weeks ago I tossed a little bit of generic 10-10-10 fertilizer near it, and I think that gave it the "kick"  to get moving!

[JubaeaMan138]

True blue arenarius hardening off 

[GDLWyverex]

My very young Encephalartos Longifolius Joubertina is in flush

Hoooraaahhhh!!

 

 

Richard

[Tracy]

On 7/12/2019 at 10:08 PM, Tracy said:

This Encephalartos trispinosis is still pushing the cone out and it looks more and more male to me. 

Confirmed to be yet another male in my garden.  Good thing the boys don't fight because they definitely outnumber the girls at this point!

[Jubutia]

My Encephalartos lehmannii Kirkwood with 4 news leaves and female Cone, grown in Germany. I think it looks "Extra Sweet" and will taste good. Interesting is.... the Label is also growing on the plant.

 

[Tracy]

9 hours ago, Jubutia said:

 

Schmeckt