is this the ultimate "prehistoric" tropical looking plant ?

[trioderob 297]

is there any plant in the world more prehistoric looking than a E. LATIFRONS ?

I rest my case :

[BS Man about Palms 2,337]

E. woodii

[carver 38]

That's sweet! Where is that photo from?

[Moose 1,465]

E. woodii

Bill - your scaring the children.

[Eric in Orlando 3,919]

along with Araucaria rulei and Angiopteris evecta

[Justin 632]

I still think that Gunneras look the most prehistoric, but this is right up there.

[edbrown_III 165]

along with Araucaria rulei and Angiopteris evecta

Eric,

Can yo post any photos of the Araucaria rulei ? Are you growing this in Orlando?

Best regards

Ed Brown

[Eric in Orlando 3,919]

along with Araucaria rulei and Angiopteris evecta

Eric,

Can yo post any photos of the Araucaria rulei ? Are you growing this in Orlando?

Best regards

Ed Brown

Here are a few I found online. I have a couple seedlings I germinated a few months ago but none outdoors yet.

[Eric in Orlando 3,919]

along with Araucaria rulei and Angiopteris evecta

Eric,

Can yo post any photos of the Araucaria rulei ? Are you growing this in Orlando?

Best regards

Ed Brown

Here are a few I found online. I have a couple seedlings I germinated a few months ago but none outdoors yet.

[edbrown_III 165]

Now thats a tree! Do you think they woud do better thatn the Wollemi pine--- I am running out of space for big trees here--- I might not be able to plant more than one in my future.

Best regards

Ed

[edbrown_III 165]

Dicksonia forest in Bolivia --- beautiful and prehistoric ---

Offered to keep the thread going

Best regards

Ed

[Jonathan 64]

As Ed said, to keep it going....

....Richea pandanifolia, Tasmania....a very big heath!

Ripped from the net!

[edbrown_III 165]

thanks what are these Pandanus or yucca?

Best regards

Ed

[Urban Rainforest 157]

Eric in Orlando beat me to it but I agree that Angiopteris Evecta is probably the most prehistoric plant I have seen. They look like some kind of missing link between a Fern and a Cycad. Also they are HUGE and have petioles as big around as your arm!

Stevo

[Jonathan 64]

thanks what are these Pandanus or yucca?

Best regards

Ed

Neither Ed - they are literally a type of giant heath or Epacrid. Not related to Pandanus or Yucca, but the common name here is Pandani, I guess because the early botanists thought they looked like a Pandanus.

These things are far from tropical. They grow at about 1000m (3000') altitude in the mountains of Tasmania at 42 degrees south and are often covered in snow for weeks on end. Slow growing and difficult to keep alive in a garden, although apparently easier in a pot for some reason. They can grow to about 12m (40') high eventually.

Cheers,

Jonathan

[Madchemis 7]

is there any plant in the world more prehistoric looking than a E. LATIFRONS ?

I rest my case :

Just an additional comment that arenarius, horridus, and trispinosus all fall in the same family being very spiny and horrific looking.

[sur4z 373]

How about the xanthorrhoea glauca. These dudes can live 600 years so they really are prehistoric!!

[Moose 1,465]

On 11/3/2010, 6:59:47, edbrown_III said:

 

 

Eric,

 

Can yo post any photos of the Araucaria rulei ? Are you growing this in Orlando?

 

Best regards

 

Ed Brown

Eric - did they make it into the ground?

[cycadjungle 89]

This one looks pretty prehistoric

 

http://s3.amazonaws.com/siteninja/site-ninja1-com/1350424897/original/Botanical_Tours-Mexico-Nature-Tours-Dioon-merolae-Jeff.jpg?1399506398

[Matthew92 897]

On 11/4/2010, 8:35:00, Eric in Orlando said:

Here are a few I found online. I have a couple seedlings I germinated a few months ago but none outdoors yet.

Hey Eric, do you still have this one?

[Eric in Orlando 3,919]

We have 4 Araucaria rulei planted out at Leu Gardens. The largest is about 4 ft tall. I will get some photos on Monday.

[Matthew92 897]

1 hour ago, Eric in Orlando said:

We have 4 Araucaria rulei planted out at Leu Gardens. The largest is about 4 ft tall. I will get some photos on Monday.

Awesome, would love to see them. Speaking of which, I really need to get down there in person sometime soon. Only time I went was in 2007: and having just moved down from Illinois, wasn't as aware of the many tropical trees/plants and palms. In fact, we must have bypassed those areas as mostly what I remember were the nice live/laurel oak canopy throughout and more native plants/trees. I do however remember seeing an Araucaria there: all I remember was that the label said "Monkey puzzle." It was about 15 feet high and looked healthy so it must have been either bidwilli or angustifolia.

[Eric in Orlando 3,919]

I stand corrected, we have 3 Araucaria rulei planted out at Leu Gardens;

 

 

 

 

 

[Las Palmas Norte 239]

The Wollemi pine is definitely prehistoric. Mine stands about 7' tall and has been in ground for about 7 years from a 2 gal. 18" tall plant.

Wollemia nobilis

 

 

[Eric in Orlando 3,919]

That is an awesome specimen!

I wish Wollemia nobilis would grow here. There is some hope, it has been grafted onto Agathis robusta rootstock and so far has been growing in Florida.

[Eric in Orlando 3,919]

On 9/10/2016, 8:24:33, Opal92 said:

Awesome, would love to see them. Speaking of which, I really need to get down there in person sometime soon. Only time I went was in 2007: and having just moved down from Illinois, wasn't as aware of the many tropical trees/plants and palms. In fact, we must have bypassed those areas as mostly what I remember were the nice live/laurel oak canopy throughout and more native plants/trees. I do however remember seeing an Araucaria there: all I remember was that the label said "Monkey puzzle." It was about 15 feet high and looked healthy so it must have been either bidwilli or angustifolia.

 

I just posted this over in a conifer forum, It is photos of Araucariaceae (Araucaria and Agathis) specimens here at Leu Gardens.

 

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/4159372/m=3/araucariaceae-collection-at-leu-gardens-agathis-and-araucaria

[Palm Tree Jim 1,006]

On 11/28/2015, 6:55:53, cycadjungle said:

This one looks pretty prehistoric

 

http://s3.amazonaws.com/siteninja/site-ninja1-com/1350424897/original/Botanical_Tours-Mexico-Nature-Tours-Dioon-merolae-Jeff.jpg?1399506398

Awesome picture!

[Tracy 4,605]

On 11/1/2010, 7:10:29, BS Man about Palms said:

E. woodii

 

On 11/9/2010, 7:49:05, Madchemis said:

Just an additional comment that arenarius, horridus, and trispinosus all fall in the same family being very spiny and horrific looking.

 

On 11/1/2010, 3:59:19, trioderob said:

is there any plant in the world more prehistoric looking than a E. LATIFRONS ?

Since there were a couple of responses indicating a preference for E woodii, and the Cape blue Encephalartos, I thought I would toss my hat into the ring with this juvenile Encephalartos horridus x woodii.  While none of the blue of mama Encephalartos, it does have her nice twisted structure and recurved leaves.  It looks like something only a dinosaur would munch on, not something I could imagine any wild or domestic Bovinae eating today.

[Matthew92 897]

On 9/12/2016, 11:35:12, Eric in Orlando said:

I stand corrected, we have 3 Araucaria rulei planted out at Leu Gardens;

Nice looking plants, thanks for sharing the pics. I remember reading that in their native environment they like to grow in soil with nickel!? Regardless of that, they seem to be thriving in the soil there at Leu. I wonder what it's actual cold hardiness is. Realistically, it probably is the same or even more tender than heterophylla. Although since it hasn't been trialed much at all from what I've read, I'm very wishfully hoping it could be more hardy..... even hardy enough to grow in the Panhandle.

[ahosey01 372]

On 9/12/2016 at 9:35 AM, Eric in Orlando said:

I stand corrected, we have 3 Araucaria rulei planted out at Leu Gardens;

 

 

 

 

 

Can you speak to any freezes these things have lived through?

[Manalto 381]

Not more prehistoric looking but a worthy contributor to the dinosaur bouquet, I think. Mahonia bealei: