Information Please on Dioone Spinosa

[carolstropicals]

Hi, I've just seen a Dioone Spinosa at the nursery. They want 50.00 for this plant, but I know nothing about it. The owner said it was like a sago palm, but was more tropical. She said it was the same size. I have tried to google this name, but nothing shows up.

Does anyone know about this plant. The low temp and size. Also is 50.00 a good price for this.

Thanks palm people. Carol in Houston

[freakypalmguy]

Hi, I've just seen a Dioone Spinosa at the nursery. They want 50.00 for this plant, but I know nothing about it. The owner said it was like a sago palm, but was more tropical. She said it was the same size. I have tried to google this name, but nothing shows up.

Does anyone know about this plant. The low temp and size. Also is 50.00 a good price for this.

Thanks palm people. Carol in Houston

Hi Carol,

Do a search for Dioon spinulosum and you will get more info. They do not do well in full sun, and look the best in filtered sun. I have a few that experienced 27F and many other days at or below freezing, with apx 10 days of light frost and they were 30% damaged. They did not get damaged at the first sign of the cold, but only after repeated exposure. It is a very beautiful cycad if given the right conditions. As far as the price, it depends on where you live. I could get larger more full plant for that price where I live in CA.

Matt

[Got Palms]

It's a Dioon Spinulosum from the cycad family very beautiful cycad, they like a lot of sun but will tolerate some shade i have several growing in both full sun and part sun and both are doing very well. 50 dollars sounds a bit pricey for that size plant, 50 smacks should get you a little larger caudex, but you will not be dissapointed adding one or two to your collection.

[freakypalmguy]

Carol,

After I posted my response, then read Sergio's, I realized I should tell you a bit about my summertime growing conditions. I live in a near desert environment, with temps regularly in the 90'sF and many exceeding 100F with very little humidity. My conditions eventually burn the leaves on my Dioon spinulosum during the summer and they don't look very good. I am waiting for some of my palms to gain size, they they will get the protection they need in my environment.

Matt

[Gan Eden]

Is this species fussy about soil type?

[pg6922]

Llike most cycads, they are slow growing, hence the high price. When they decide to "flush" a new set pf leaves, be care not to disturb them, they are very delicate in the early stages. HD sells that size you are showing for $20...but that is in SW Florida. Mine showed some leave burn with 2 days reaching 32 degrees.

Its one of my favorites. Here is one outside the Naple,Fl building department. 20 plus years old.

PG,

[carolstropicals]

Thanks so much for all the info. I will try HD. I did buy a Queen Sago from them, but I haven't seen this plant before anywhere

in Houston. Strange. Maybe I can find it online now that I know the name.

All this experience and knowledge has really helped. This is a beautiful plant - so desirable. 50.00 YUK !!

May all of your plants grown exceedingly beautiful, Carol in Houston

[cycadjungle]

Yea, those plants still have their juvenile leaves on them so they can't be that old. I've seen tham that size at the local society sales for about $15, but in a smaller container. I put mine under oak trees and they don't burn real bad until it gets down below about 23F or so. Out in the open they would burn during any moderate frost. I just had 16F and even though every plant burned, they are now coming out with nice flushes of leaves, so it should at least survive in your area.

[carolstropicals]

Thanks, I just saw one at Details Nursery online for 20.00. I have emailed them concerning the amount of leaves and shipping details.

It does seem that our summer heat might really hurt these beautiful palms.

Ah, It seems there is always room for one more palm.

I did notice from pictures this dioone can get quite tall with a nice size trunk. Don't know how many years that would take. This also would have to be considered when planting.

Thanks to all, Carol in Houston

[virtualpalm]

Carol,

I agree with most of what has been said here. That Dioon spinulosum that you showed in your first post is quite expensive for a plant of that size and species.

In answer to one of your other questions, this species really has no specific soil requirements other than good drainage. In habitat in Mexico, I actually saw 50-foot-tall plants growing right on top of rocks.

I hope you are able to find a nice plant for a better price, as this is one of the nicer cycads to grow. It does get quite large, though, so you definitely do need to take that into consideration when planting it in the ground. I have posted the following photo a couple times already, but I will provide it again for your benefit... This plant had about 3 feet of trunk when I first got it in 2002, and it now has around 4 feet of trunk and the leaves are up over the roof.

In case you are interested in reading about my efforts at transplanting this plant, here is a link to an article that I wrote:

http://www.plantapalm.com/vce/cycadstory/t...nting-dioon.htm

Jody

[virtualpalm]

Llike most cycads, they are slow growing, hence the high price. When they decide to "flush" a new set pf leaves, be care not to disturb them, they are very delicate in the early stages. HD sells that size you are showing for $20...but that is in SW Florida. Mine showed some leave burn with 2 days reaching 32 degrees.

Its one of my favorites. Here is one outside the Naple,Fl building department. 20 plus years old.

PG,

PG, I hate to be disagreeable, but the plant in your photo is Dioon mejiae -- which is MUCH slower growing than D. spinulosum (which may explain why it is that size at 20 years old).

Jody

[freakypalmguy]

I was hoping you would post your plant Jody, it is a beauty. Is that a Guihaia at the base?

[virtualpalm]

I was hoping you would post your plant Jody, it is a beauty. Is that a Guihaia at the base?

No, that is Coccothrinax montana. I do have a Guihaia argyrata in the yard, though. It has been in the ground for 8 or 9 years and is still only around 18" tall and 24" wide. You can just barely make it out in the photo below -- just to the left of the Brahea decumbens, which I got as a 2-leaf seedling in 1998.

Jody

[carolstropicals]

Jody, that is The most beautiful palm that you transplanted. It must have been great when the leaves came out.

I did read the entire transplant article. It was interesting how close that you planted it to your house. Is this ok. Does the root system stay small.

I just planted a Queen Sago. Your article showed the shielding protection against the wind. Will I need to do the same thing with the Queen. It seems I have so many questions being fairly new to this. I've grown tons of Sagos, but this seems more intricate and different. How tall will your palm get. Also, what about the smaller one next to the mother. Will you separate it and plant it elsewhere or just leave it.

It looks quite healthy ( happy)

Florida is a great place to grown these palms. Great weather. We were in Lakeland, Fl last summer. Lush and Beautiful everywhere.

Thanks for posting the pictures. The other picture with the tall palms - are they dioone also. So Large !!

It seems answered questions make for more questions !! Thanks everyone, Carol in Houston

[virtualpalm]

Jody, that is The most beautiful palm that you transplanted. It must have been great when the leaves came out.

I did read the entire transplant article. It was interesting how close that you planted it to your house. Is this ok. Does the root system stay small.

I just planted a Queen Sago. Your article showed the shielding protection against the wind. Will I need to do the same thing with the Queen. It seems I have so many questions being fairly new to this. I've grown tons of Sagos, but this seems more intricate and different. How tall will your palm get. Also, what about the smaller one next to the mother. Will you separate it and plant it elsewhere or just leave it.

It looks quite healthy ( happy)

Florida is a great place to grown these palms. Great weather. We were in Lakeland, Fl last summer. Lush and Beautiful everywhere.

Thanks for posting the pictures. The other picture with the tall palms - are they dioone also. So Large !!

It seems answered questions make for more questions !! Thanks everyone, Carol in Houston

Carol, I have no problem answering questions, but before I do I need to clarify a couple points of inaccuracy in your latest post. First, Dioon spinulosum and Queen sago (Cycas rumphii) are cycads, not palms. This may seem like a nitpicky clarification for those not familiar with cycads, but it is an important one because cycads are in no way related to palms and often have very different horticultural requirements. Palms are actually related to grasses, while cycads are related to conifers (pine trees) -- and cycads actually reproduce by cones rather than flowers. The second point that I need to clarify is the spelling of the genus Dioon, which does not have an "e" on the end.

Now, on to your questions... The root system of cycads (and many palms as well) does stay relatively small, particularly compared to shade trees like oaks. The roots are usually also very soft and unobtrusive, so planting near the house is not a problem.

The only reason I built the wind shelter was because the newly emerging leaves on cycads are very soft and easily damaged, and the leaves on my large Dioon spinulosum were emerging during the windiest time of the year here in south Florida. You really shouldn't need to do that.

As for size of Dioon spinulosum, I have already mentioned that this species grows to 50+ feet tall in the wild in Mexico (you can see some of these plants in my first photo above). The largest plants that I have seen in cultivation are around 30 feet tall (in a small park in southern California). Here in Florida, the largest plants I have seen are around 15 feet tall.

As for the sucker growing off of the main stem, I intend to leave it just like it is... there is also a smaller sucker behind the large one. Interestingly, this species tends to be solitary in habitat but usually suckers profusely in cultivation. This seems to be true of many cycad species.

Hope this helps,

Jody

[carolstropicals]

Thanks so much for all the info. Great to know I could put this dioon so close to the house. Thanks for sharing your knowlegdge. Carol in Houston

[Phil]

Carol,

There are multiple comments above about growing Dioon spinulosum in sun. I think it depends on your local humidity. In the Houston area, you will probably get away with full sun. Here in Southern California, when grown in full sun, this species tends to look "limey" (yellow green rather than dark olive green) and can even get sunburned spots. They look much prettier in part day sun or nice filtered light. Dioon mejiae take a bit more sun, but they too look better in less than full sun here. Where Matt lives in Temecula, full sun would not be recommended or his plant would look less than perfect. In Southern California our humidity levels are lower. In Houston it is more humid. Therefore, you might be able to grow this species in your full sun. Dioon spinulosum is about the third most common of the commercially sold cycad species, being surpassed only by Cycas revoluta and Zamia furfuracea.

Phil