zamia vazquezii

[necturus]

Anyone know how cold hardy Zamia vazquezii is? I managed to get a nice size one this weekend. It has quite a bit of exposed caudex. Should the caudex be buried underground? Some websites mention that they are subterranean.

Thanks, Daniel

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

In Houston you won't have to bury the caudex.  The leaves will start to burn between 20-26F if the frost is kept off of them.  The brown emergent have proven to be the most cold tolerant and will handle 20F and some of the green plants are duds and burn easily.  I bury the caudex here in DFW and they never die.

[TexasColdHardyPalms]

Additionally we only breed and grow the brown emergent plants that have proven to have superior leaf hardiness.

[Tracy]

9 hours ago, TexasColdHardyPalms said:

Additionally we only breed and grow the brown emergent plants that have proven to have superior leaf hardiness.

It will be interesting to see how successful your selective breeding works.  I'm sure that as you get farther down the breeding line the more consistency you will see, unless just by breeding the brown emergent plants you have achieved most of the cold hardiness selection.

[TropiLocal]

I know Southern California is a different and warmer climate, but I've had this exposed without any issues.

[Silas_Sancona]

19 hours ago, TropiLocal said:

I know Southern California is a different and warmer climate, but I've had this exposed without any issues.

That has gotta be one of the nicest  Z. vazquezii specimens i have seen. Well Grown. How old? / long have you been growing it?

[TropiLocal]

I can't take much credit as I've only had it the past 3 years.  This year is the first full, clean and healthy flush I've had with it.  It had a pretty bad mealybug infestation.