Cycad cones and flushes

[DippyD]

Female E. Dyerianus awaiting its debut. Any day now! 

[DippyD]

These are always fun to look at….

[DippyD]

E. longifolius, this one’s yet to cone for me! 

[DippyD]

Female E. Trispinosus 

[Urban Rainforest]

Those cones are getting plump and your Lati looks epic! Awesome collection of plants you got there🤙

[DippyD]

1 hour ago, Urban Rainforest said:

Those cones are getting plump and your Lati looks epic! Awesome collection of plants you got there🤙

Thanks Steve! Everything seems to be growing well and enjoying the heat!

[GeneAZ]

On 9/3/2025 at 8:43 PM, DippyD said:

These are always fun to look at

 

Beautifully grown, excellent form!!  This is what keeps us chasing the cheese.

[Tracy]

One of the Macrozamia species which seems to continuously be pushing a new leaf.  I haven't noticed a flush of multiple leaves emerging at once.  I don't recall if this is another communis or different species.   I bought it as a one leaf band size years ago.

[Tracy]

A couple of Dioons producing cones.  The Palma Sol form of Dioon edule is definitely female.  The other smaller form of Dioon edule is probably female but I don't recall.

[Tracy]

Encephalartos laurentianus showing a great desire to reproduce.   3 females from last season being greeted with 4 little sisters.

[Urban Rainforest]

I think the peak of flush season is winding down but I still have quite a few plants throwing. I have 2 of these Cleopatra x True blue Arenarius and both are throwing their 3rd flush since spring. Still one leafers.

[Urban Rainforest]

Another one of my Arenarius x Horridus flushing.

[Urban Rainforest]

I bought this one as blue Munchii. Not blue yet but hopefully in the future.

[Urban Rainforest]

Cycas Platyphylla throwing a nice flush. Thankfully I will be able to cut off the 2 year old deformed leaves soon.

[Urban Rainforest]

I got my Encephalartos Equatorialis and Bunia species about the same time and their size and growth rate has been identical. Here is the Equatorialis throwing a single 5 ft. Plus leaf.

[Urban Rainforest]

Not to be out done the Bunia species is throwing one leaf that is sure to be at least 5 ft.

[Urban Rainforest]

Seems like I always have at least a couple true blue Arenarius going. These things are fast!

[Tracy]

Another late season flush is beginning on this Encephalartos munchii.   It is the green form and has not coned yet.

[Tracy]

This Encephalartos arenarius blue form x has cones which indicate to me that it is a hybrid with horridus.  Any other species that would yield that color of reddish brown male cones that would hybridize with Encephalartos arenarius?

[TropicsEnjoyer]

7 hours ago, Tracy said:

This Encephalartos arenarius blue form x has cones which indicate to me that it is a hybrid with horridus.  Any other species that would yield that color of reddish brown male cones that would hybridize with Encephalartos arenarius?

That color is unreal. Almost looks grey. Such a beautiful yet vicious cycad haha. It’s interesting how we find dangerous plants so fascinating.

[Billeb]

 Encephalartos Longifolius x Latifrons pushing new growth. Really starting to take on some unique features like the pleating in the middle of the leaflets. 
 

-dale 

[Urban Rainforest]

Dale, That is one cool looking Hybrid! Thats what I like about hybrids. You never know what your gonna end up with!

Steve

[Dan Zia]

E. latifrons 1-leaf seedling which arrived flushing a second leaf. I have had it about a week now, acclimating it slowly to our harsh sunlight. 

[Tracy]

On 9/23/2025 at 6:08 PM, Billeb said:

 Encephalartos Longifolius x Latifrons pushing new growth. Really starting to take on some unique features like the pleating in the middle of the leaflets. 
 

-dale 

That is an attractive hybrid.   It reminds me of this plant which is not a hybrid. 

[Billeb]

2 hours ago, Tracy said:

That is an attractive hybrid.   It reminds me of this plant which is not a hybrid. 

Tracy, as much as I would love to agree with you, I’m confident it will never look anything like your prized plant. 😳 
 

she’s a beaut!! 

-dale 

[Urban Rainforest]

Cycas Platyphylla throwing a nice flush! I have been told its prob the rarest Cycad I have just because they are hard to get. Any of ya’ll growing this one? This plant flushes more silver than my Cycas sp. silver, then turns blue for a month or so and then turns green. I wish it would stay blue!

[GeneAZ]

They sure are glad when autumn gets here in Arizona!  6 new leaves.  I didn't have success with inopinus until I started growing it like a cactus.  My plant has a more spaced-out leaflets and long petiole.  This is not from weak light, only that there's about 4 leaf forms including one that has prickles on the petiole to the point of insertion to the caudex!

 

Lantus is not very popular, and my plant is not the preferred form.  Mine has mostly straight leaves that twist at the tip.  Also, this form stays upright at all times.  The curly forms sag after about 2 months.  There's also a very silver form.

[Urban Rainforest]

Gene, Thanks for posting those pics and your plants look awesome! I just checked and mine is the form with prickles to the base of the petioles. I did’nt realize there were so many forms. I have done all the garden tours and honestly have never seen one but im sure they are out there. I have had mine so long(20years+) I dont even remember where I got it lol.

[GeneAZ]

It's quite rare, but I had the South Africans show me images of this variation.

 

[Billeb]

Here’s pics of my pure Latifrons pushing another single leafer. This closeup really shows the micro fuzz on the leaflets that give  Latifrons that matte look. Pretty cool. 
 

-dale 

 

 

[Urban Rainforest]

That Lati is looking good and well on its way to putting some size on! I too like that sandpapery look and feel to the leaves. I have one now throwing it 3rd leaf since spring! Who said they are slow lol.

Steve

[DippyD]

E. Dyerianus loosening up and a E. Eugene marasii fully receptive. 

[Urban Rainforest]

Heres a few late season flushes. Encephalartos Bunia sp. This leaf has’nt began to harden off yet and its throwing another leaf allready.

[Urban Rainforest]

I think someone was asking the differance between Bunia and Equatorialis🤔 While they bot get big the Bunia has a much wider leaf with down curving leaflets. The Equatorialis has a much narrower more rigid leaf. Here is Equatorialis hardening off.

[Urban Rainforest]

This is a kind of small leaf Horridus throwing a one leaf flush. It threw a 3 leafer in spring. I have at least a half dozen Horridus leaf forms. Thats why I like to buy them from various sources.

[Urban Rainforest]

This Eugene was looking bad with its 3 year old leaves! Thankfully it just threw a flush so I can cut them off!

[Urban Rainforest]

Bout to go🤙

[Urban Rainforest]

Cycas Platyphylla flush still soft but allready turning green😐I wish it would have stayed blue longer but at least it threw a good flush! For whatever reason I had a lot of plants flush this week so I will post them when they get bigger.

[Tracy]

On 9/18/2025 at 7:19 PM, Tracy said:

Encephalartos laurentianus showing a great desire to reproduce.   3 females from last season being greeted with 4 little sisters.

As the new cones get larger they are pushing the older cones out which has the domino effect of pressing leaves out more horizontal.   Since I didn't pollinate the older ones, I decided to remove a cone to stop the leaves from getting pressed down.   One of the Encephalartos laurentianus cones for size.

[JohnAndSancho]

I repotted it. I mean this little pot is like a bandaid on a shotgun wound, but I could honestly hear the plastic bottle cracking in the night from the roots. 

 

This picture really doesn't show just how freaking wide this thing is.