Best Cycad for wet 8A

[ZPalms]

I’ve been wanting a cycad but I’m unsure what would perform the best through frost and full sun. I was thinking of cycas revoluta as it’s widely accessible but is their anything hardier or noticeable?

[Las Palmas Norte]

Zamia pumila (Coontie palm) might be an option for you.

[DAVEinMB]

19 minutes ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

Zamia pumila (Coontie palm) might be an option for you.

These can handle 8a temps? Thought it was more of a 9a plant

[knikfar]

Cycas Taitungensis is like a larger version of a Revoluta. But they're hardier than Revoluta. And they like sun to. 

[Chester B]

Cycas panzhihuaensis

[Collectorpalms]

Dioon Edule "Angustifolia", is probably the most leaf hardy. 10F

Also Ceratozamia Kuesteriana, Ceratozamia Mexicana are worth adding to the list, they will burn all around 20, although ice and wind they will burn at higher temperatures.

Edited June 14, 2022 by Collectorpalms

[teddytn]

31 minutes ago, Chester B said:

Cycas panzhihuaensis

I heard that was hands down the hardiest, I’ve been tempted to get one and try it out against the foundation…

[ZPalms]

Does anyone know a good seller for cycads, I don’t wanna buy one and it not be true to list

[Zeni]

Cycads grow very slowly and do well in pots. Some botanical gardens in England have specimens that were kept in pots for a century.  IMO, better to grow them in a pot in zone 8. 

From videos I have seen of zone pushers in London who put them in the ground is that tend to become yellowly due to the high rainfall. 

[teddytn]

54 minutes ago, ZPalms said:

Does anyone know a good seller for cycads, I don’t wanna buy one and it not be true to list

I think @Scott W grows and sells them. Might try the palm exchange on here, can always post a palm or plant you’re looking for, someone will point you in the right direction. I know jungle music does have a vast array of cycads they sell, worth an e-mail to Phil or Jesse 

[ZPalms]

44 minutes ago, Zeni said:

Cycads grow very slowly and do well in pots. Some botanical gardens in England have specimens that were kept in pots for a century.  IMO, better to grow them in a pot in zone 8. 

From videos I have seen of zone pushers in London who put them in the ground is that tend to become yellowly due to the high rainfall. 

I’ve posted these on here before but I saw these in town and was like I want  I might keep them in a pot or something but idk

[JohnAndSancho]

1 hour ago, ZPalms said:

I’ve posted these on here before but I saw these in town and was like I want  I might keep them in a pot or something but idk

There's a Sago in my apartments that survived Texas Palmageddon. Granted it's a big-ass old established Sago, but it got zero protection

[JohnAndSancho]

Oddly enough the damage you see is from 2022's winter storm. And I guess the landscapers just left dead fronds on the ground lol. Also Sancho. 

[Collectorpalms]

Just the regular sago is a good one to start with. As long as you plant it a little high, and the hole drains quickly they do fine. Cycads can certainly rot in soggy soil. They also respond well to high nitrogen fertilizer and sun.

As far as a good source for affordable cycads, there really isn't, otherwise Id have a bunch. It is a rich man's hobby!

Edited June 15, 2022 by Collectorpalms

[OC2Texaspalmlvr]

3 hours ago, teddytn said:

I know jungle music does have a vast array of cycads they sell, worth an e-mail to Phil or Jesse

I 2nd this for sure as we all know they sell palms but there actually more into cycads. They definitely can set you in the right direction. 

T J 

[amh]

7 hours ago, Las Palmas Norte said:

Zamia pumila (Coontie palm) might be an option for you.

 

7 hours ago, DAVEinMB said:

These can handle 8a temps? Thought it was more of a 9a plant

The coonties are mislabeled as Zamia pumila, but are actually Zamia floridana aka Zamia integrifolia. The coonties should handle 8A, especially with mulch or leaves.

[amh]

4 hours ago, ZPalms said:

Does anyone know a good seller for cycads, I don’t wanna buy one and it not be true to list

Contact @Jubaea_James760, he may have some cycads for sale.

3 hours ago, teddytn said:

I think @Scott W grows and sells them. Might try the palm exchange on here, can always post a palm or plant you’re looking for, someone will point you in the right direction. I know jungle music does have a vast array of cycads they sell, worth an e-mail to Phil or Jesse 

Good growers too.

[ZPalms]

3 hours ago, Collectorpalms said:

Just the regular sago is a good one to start with. As long as you plant it a little high, and the hole drains quickly they do fine. Cycads can certainly rot in soggy soil. They also respond well to high nitrogen fertilizer and sun.

As far as a good source for affordable cycads, there really isn't, otherwise Id have a bunch. It is a rich man's hobby!

Good point, I don't have much money so I'm trying to find a good cycad thats cheap even if I gotta grow the seed myself, I'm all good with regular common sago

Edited June 15, 2022 by ZPalms

[Collectorpalms]

2 hours ago, amh said:

Contact @Jubaea_James760, he may have some cycads for sale.

Good growers too.

I can vouch for James. If your young buy small. If you want something anywhere with a couple inches of “Trunk” be prepared to spend a hundred dollars per inch.

You could buy a couple second hand cycads or a used car from Jungle Music. 
 

That’s why I say it’s a rich man’s Hobby. 

Edited June 15, 2022 by Collectorpalms

[Jubaea_James760]

@ZPalms, I have some Sagos that I recently potted up but with shipping & the price you'll probably get a better deal if you can find one at a Lowes or Home Depot if you have those close by. If that's not an option & your still interested shot me a PM 

[ZPalms]

46 minutes ago, Jubaea_James760 said:

@ZPalms, I have some Sagos that I recently potted up but with shipping & the price you'll probably get a better deal if you can find one at a Lowes or Home Depot if you have those close by. If that's not an option & your still interested shot me a PM 

I always wanna buy from people around the community but it's true, shipping and price together would probably leave me with nothing haha 

Edited June 15, 2022 by ZPalms

[Scott W]

I have one and two year old seedlings of hybrid Revoluta x diannanensis and Revoluta x multifrondis.  Can ship up to four in a package pretty much anywhere in the US for around $15 shipping.

[amh]

On 6/14/2022 at 1:30 PM, ZPalms said:

I’ve been wanting a cycad but I’m unsure what would perform the best through frost and full sun. I was thinking of cycas revoluta as it’s widely accessible but is their anything hardier or noticeable?

Are you a warm 8A or cold 8A?

Edited June 15, 2022 by amh

[ZPalms]

4 hours ago, amh said:

Are you a warm 8A or cold 8A?

I'm in uh I wanna say warmish 8A i'm more south in north carolina fayetteville but idk if that's consider warm but I think it is

[ZPalms]

6 hours ago, Scott W said:

I have one and two year old seedlings of hybrid Revoluta x diannanensis and Revoluta x multifrondis.  Can ship up to four in a package pretty much anywhere in the US for around $15 shipping.

I don't know a thing about cycad hybrids! but that gives me variety over the ones lowes sells. I did find your website looking at the hybrids, How well do they do in winter?

 

Edited June 15, 2022 by ZPalms

[Swolte]

On 6/14/2022 at 4:20 PM, Chester B said:

Cycas panzhihuaensis

These are great. They are quite hard to find, in my experience. I recently stumbled upon one at a nursery near Houston for an unbelievable $50. It was pushing a caudex above ground of at least 10" already. I planted it a few weeks ago and let a nice little Clematis Texensis vine through the leaves (see pic). 

Edited June 16, 2022 by Swolte

[Collectorpalms]

37 minutes ago, Swolte said:

These are great. They are quite hard to find, in my experience. I recently stumbled upon one at a nursery near Houston for an unbelievable $50. It was pushing a caudex above ground of at least 10" already. I planted it a few weeks ago and let a nice little Clematis Texensis vine through the leaves (see pic). 

This one Survived the TX Freeze. Not as fast and blue as they were made out to be on rarepalmseeds. But Dioon angustifoliam is the only cycad I saw in Austin that did not burn at 10F, including Cycas Panz. But Cycas Panz is a tad hardier than regular Sagos.

$50 is a steal.

 

Several of those Sagos in the background died. But their trunks are much higher and exposed to more cold. 

Edited June 16, 2022 by Collectorpalms

[Swolte]

24 minutes ago, Collectorpalms said:

But Dioon angustifoliam is the only cycad I saw in Austin that did not burn at 10F, including Cycas Panz. But Cycas Panz is a tad hardier than regular Sagos.

Yes, no burn after temps 5-10F is impressive! Do you recall if they had a Dioon 'Rio Verde' at Zilker? I'd be curious to learn how mature specimens fared (I have a small one).  

[Collectorpalms]

30 minutes ago, Swolte said:

Yes, no burn after temps 5-10F is impressive! Do you recall if they had a Dioon 'Rio Verde' at Zilker? I'd be curious to learn how mature specimens fared (I have a small one).  

I do not think so, but I can go back and look at pictures. There was extensive DNA research done on Dioon. You can knock your socks off reading about it. But it seems as if you apply the hardiness, the further north and inland in Mexico the hardier the Dioon has evolved in eastern Mexico. 

The Title of the research article is:

The phylogeography of the cycad genus Dioon (Zamiaceae) clarifies its Cenozoic expansion and diversification in the Mexican transition zone

https://www.academia.edu/58638710/The_phylogeography_of_the_cycad_genus_Dioon_Zamiaceae_clarifies_its_Cenozoic_expansion_and_diversification_in_the_Mexican_transition_zone

Edited June 16, 2022 by Collectorpalms

[teddytn]

This is me asking, I don’t have any experience with cycads. I thought I read panzhihuaensis and taitungensis weren’t the most leaf hardy but could come back and flush after temps down to zero even below? 

[Collectorpalms]

2 minutes ago, teddytn said:

This is me asking, I don’t have any experience with cycads. I thought I read panzhihuaensis and taitungensis weren’t the most leaf hardy but could come back and flush after temps down to zero even below? 

Cycas Panz came back from low single digits.  And they will flush pretty early in spring. I had a larger Taitungensis, or possibly hybrid with Revoluta, that died. Though I found a little pup that made it.

Edited June 16, 2022 by Collectorpalms

[Collectorpalms]

One year later Feb 18, 2022. They had a good flush of leaves, and a few other cycads are back from the ashes. 

Edited June 16, 2022 by Collectorpalms

[SeanK]

Coonties really struggle outside their native range.

[N8ALLRIGHT]

On 6/14/2022 at 6:29 PM, ZPalms said:

I’ve posted these on here before but I saw these in town and was like I want  I might keep them in a pot or something but idk

If they look like that in town, I don't know what you are waiting for?

Do it

[ZPalms]

I gained a new fear just thinking of the cycad from that one picture I posted above, I fear for its life being posted online because it takes one terrible person 

[amh]

On 6/15/2022 at 6:17 PM, ZPalms said:

I'm in uh I wanna say warmish 8A i'm more south in north carolina fayetteville but idk if that's consider warm but I think it is

If you stay above 13F every year, you'll have better survival rates for cycads in general. The common sago is much more hardy than its ratings, and a trunking specimen should have no trouble.

I would suggest potted specimens for the short term and then planting in the ground once the plants have acclimated to your climate.

[Turtlesteve]

I vote for cycas panzihuaensis as by far the best option.  I'm in 8A South Carolina in the sand hills region.  They look good, flush early in the spring (earlier than sagos) and grow faster than sago as well.  They'll lose leaves below 20F.  They can go straight into the ground with a 2-3" caudex no problem, just throw a cover over them if it gets below 20F for the first couple years.  The next best cycas seem to be taitungensis and guizhouensis.

Dioon's have done terrible for me.  I've killed several dioon edule.  It's not necessarily the cold that kills them it's cold+wet and they rot out.  It seems the people that succeed with them in 8A are often in TX (a little less wet) and they're fairly large plants.  Small ones will likely just die on you, and they also grow at an absolutely glacial pace.   So if you're gonna try one get the biggest plant you can find.  Note also I've not tried angustifolia yet.

Ceratozamia latifolia, kuesteriana, and hildae doing pretty good so far.  They are more leaf hardy than cycas panzihuaensis.  Growth rate seems slow so far, but not as slow as dioon.

[N8ALLRIGHT]

Several years ago my sagos saw 17 fahrenheit in pots on account of my laziness and a missed forecast. Complete defoliation,yet they all recovered. Very hardy 

Here's one of them a year ago, looks even better right now

[amh]

I leave my potted cold hardy cycads outside under tree canopy or porch  as long as temperatures are not forecasted to be below 14F and have not had any defoliation. 

The lack of defoliation is probably due to climatization.

[Merlyn]

@Turtlesteve I think you are right on Dioon Edule.  A lot of them survived very cold temps in the upper 20s, but TCHP said at one point that they don't like to be really cold and wet at the same time.  I haven't had any rot problems with them, but the coldest I've recorded is 24.4F here in Orlando.  That's totally different from SC/NC.

I read that C. Hildae is supposed to be 10-12F hardy, though I don't remember where that came from.  I have one in the ground in part sun and it's doing great so far.