Cycad cones and flushes

[Urban Rainforest]

Tracy, That plant should turn out killer! I have the opposite cross Horrwood x Arewood and the last two leaves are very recurved and showing some Horridus traits. 

[Billeb]

3 hours ago, Tracy said:

A fuzzy little single leaf flush on this Encephalartos arewood × horriwood. 

It’s a long road for these small plants we have but very rewarding. I love seeing the growth and change the plants take as they mature. Woodii crosses seam to push out some of the hairiest fronds! So cool. 
 

-dale 

[Urban Rainforest]

One of my Trappes valley Latifrons I bought last year throwing its first 2 leaf flush. This is the second time it has flushed this year! This is the stage where they really take off!

[Urban Rainforest]

Encephalartos Fat Are x Are Wood throwing yet again this year. I’m discovering that anything with arenarius in it is fast! This plant is definately going into a 15 gal. Next year.

[Urban Rainforest]

I thought I killed this Encephalartos Ituriensis but it seems to be making a comeback! Back atound May or June I deep soaked it and we proceeded to have two solid weeks of clouds, drizzle to light rain. I went out one morning and the leaves had collapsed and about a week later one side of the caudex was a little mushy. I quit watering for some time and then gradually started giving it organics and liquid fertilizer.It seems like it has turned the corner!

[Urban Rainforest]

[Urban Rainforest]

My big Lati is progessing nicely with a 15 leaf flush! It is at that golden fuzz stage. Anybody who has grown these knows what Im talking about.

[Billeb]

1 hour ago, Urban Rainforest said:

Encephalartos Fat Are x Are Wood throwing yet again this year. I’m discovering that anything with arenarius in it is fast! This plant is definately going into a 15 gal. Next year.

Agreed. I’ve experienced the same regarding Enc. Arenarius with one exception being the “True Blue” variety.  All others and hybrids with Arenarius in the recipe have thrived. Weird. 
 

-dale 

[GeneAZ]

On 11/2/2025 at 11:38 AM, Urban Rainforest said:

My big Lati is progessing nicely with a 15 leaf flush! It is at that golden fuzz stage. Anybody who has grown these knows what Im talking about.

That ought to increase the caudex size by at least 3 inches!!  So exciting!!

[Urban Rainforest]

3 hours ago, GeneAZ said:

That ought to increase the caudex size by at least 3 inches!!  So exciting!!

I hope your right!! That would be awesome!! The caudex is close to 12” now.

[GeneAZ]

On 11/3/2025 at 5:35 PM, Urban Rainforest said:

I hope your right!! That would be awesome!! The caudex is close to 12” now.

I sure feel like the lati next to it could use some EDTA iron.  Just feels anemic to me.

[Urban Rainforest]

Haha good eye Gene! Yes it looks anemic but looks 100 percent better than it did 5 months ago! It last flushed orange and proceeded to turn yellow🤔! Its twin that actually came from the same seed is one of the greenest plants I have! I have pretty much thrown the kitchen sink at it. What fertilizer would you recommend?

thanks Steve

[Tracy]

It is pollen shedding time for a couple of Encephalaros in the garden.

[Tracy]

This bronze flushing cycad acquired about 15 years ago or more as Ceratozamia robusta is beginning to harden off the newest flush.  She has a cone maturing but I didn't try pollinating it.   Leaflets are extremely long, providing a tropical appearance.   The block wall behind it is a little over 6' high in that area, to provide perspective on the plant size.  It can be nasty, grabbing you if you are too close as the heavily armed rachis shows.

[Urban Rainforest]

Tracy your garden looks very Tropical and nicely laid out! Your right that Ceratozamia just adds to the tropical vibe!

[Urban Rainforest]

Exploding fountain of stackage. This morning the dew from the fog made the leaves look like they were lit up!

[Tracy]

Shifting back to the Carlsbad garden, the Encephalartos natalensis x arenarius male cones are at their peak.  To me, the color and overall appearance of these cones resembles their natalensis parentage much more so than the arenarius side.  Concur or disagree?

[Urban Rainforest]

I agree Tracy the cones do look more Natalensis that Arenarius. Great looking plant though! 

[Tracy]

39 minutes ago, Urban Rainforest said:

I agree Tracy the cones do look more Natalensis that Arenarius. Great looking plant though! 

I bought it as a relatively affordable hybrid from George Sparkman back in 2008.  I was a little worried about planting expensive plants in my front yard at the time.  It has really nice glossy green leaflets.  As it has grown over the years, I've removed some adjacent plants.  The one Phoenix roebelenii trunk you can see in one photo, used to be a grouping of 3 trunks about 8' high but all leaning out.  I've cut out two of the trunks and the third will eventually go to allow this cycad more sun and skyward space.

[Urban Rainforest]

I like green Cycads as Encephalartos Latifrons is my fav but the darker green the better and yours has that nice color! That is a funny coincedince about the Phoenix Roebolenii as my X Had me plant one front and center right at our front entry way. Im like really I got tons of Dypsis and New Caledonia stuff I could plant there. No I want a pygmy date palm🙄It was an 8 ft. Triple. That wont happen again🤣

[Tracy]

1 hour ago, Urban Rainforest said:

I like green Cycads as Encephalartos Latifrons is my fav but the darker green the better and yours has that nice color! That is a funny coincedince about the Phoenix Roebolenii as my X Had me plant one front and center right at our front entry way. Im like really I got tons of Dypsis and New Caledonia stuff I could plant there. No I want a pygmy date palm🙄It was an 8 ft. Triple. That wont happen again🤣

I have to claim guilt on planting the Pygmy Dates back in 1996.  Lots of plants came out over the years.   The Encephalartos natalensis × arenarius replaced a queen palm that I originally planted in 1996.

[GeneAZ]

On 11/6/2025 at 1:31 PM, Urban Rainforest said:

Haha good eye Gene! Yes it looks anemic but looks 100 percent better than it did 5 months ago! It last flushed orange and proceeded to turn yellow🤔! Its twin that actually came from the same seed is one of the greenest plants I have! I have pretty much thrown the kitchen sink at it. What fertilizer would you recommend?

thanks Steve

The Grow More EDDHA iron chelate 6.0%  at one (1) teaspoon per gallon once a month until the color starts to return. It will continue to metabolize into the leaves over the warm season.  You can use it in winter without problem.   Don't get the 10% because it's not chelated.  Don't apply if not needed to improve green or you can cause other imbalances.  

If you want to be very cautious, you can just spray it as foliar, but it's worked great for me over the years as a drench as needed.

[Urban Rainforest]

Thanks for that info Gene! Much appreciated! I will have to try that.

[Urban Rainforest]

My plants seemed to really like the recent rains and my Latifrons flush is developing much faster than I thought it would this time of year! It looked kinda cool this morning with little rain drops on it. I really lucked out that it flushed late in the year because catterpillar and grasshopper season are over and its so far flawless🤙

[Tracy]

58 minutes ago, Urban Rainforest said:

My plants seemed to really like the recent rains and my Latifrons flush is developing much faster than I thought it would this time of year! It looked kinda cool this morning with little rain drops on it. I really lucked out that it flushed late in the year because catterpillar and grasshopper season are over and its so far flawless🤙

It sounds like you too occasionally encounter trouble with grasshoppers and or caterpillars on your cycads.   There are certain ones that these vermin seem to like, which leans to the blus species. 

On a different note, the 4 large Encephalartos laurentianus cones look receptive but I am not going to try pollinating them again.   

[Urban Rainforest]

1 hour ago, Tracy said:

It sounds like you too occasionally encounter trouble with grasshoppers and or caterpillars on your cycads.   There are certain ones that these vermin seem to like, which leans to the blus species. 

On a different note, the 4 large Encephalartos laurentianus cones look receptive but I am not going to try pollinating them again.   

Yes caterpillars and grasshoppers can be annoying at times. Some of the older leaves on the Lati I posted got nibbled on by grasshoppers and the little black caterpillars with yellow stripes and even smaller ones can ruin a flush soon as it throws. Then your looking at damaged leaves for the next couple of years. 
 

Your Laurentianus is looking awesome! I have 10 -15 gals. and not sure what I’m gonna do with them all. They get ginormous so one is probably enough!

[TropicsEnjoyer]

What’s the average cost for a small encephalartos, like a range is fine. I don’t plan on buying one anytime soon but having a few in the future would be nice. It’s actually crazy that this is like the single biggest thread on this forum (I think), cycads never fail to amaze.

[Billeb]

33 minutes ago, TropicsEnjoyer said:

What’s the average cost for a small encephalartos, like a range is fine. I don’t plan on buying one anytime soon but having a few in the future would be nice. It’s actually crazy that this is like the single biggest thread on this forum (I think), cycads never fail to amaze.

reach out to Gabriel. He’s got tons of cool cycads the perfect size and great pricing. Not too big you can’t ship and perfect size to really take off when in the ground after a year or so. 
 

pricing really depends on locale. We are very lucky down here in SoCal to have a few big private dealers who supply the US, if not the world with Encephalartos. I have no idea about Florida sellers. 
 

-dale 
 

 

[Sr. Califas]

Thanks for the compliments Dale!

I might as well contribute to the thread. 

Middelburgensis. Pictures about a month apart. Raining pollen.