Cycad cones and flushes

[Urban Rainforest]

1 hour ago, Brian said:

Did you buy it as a seedling?

Yes Brian I bought it as a 1 leaf seedling. I also bought a 2 leaf seedling the same day which turned out to be 2 seperate plants (twins) that came from the same seed! You can see both of the other 2 plants either side of the big one that is flushing. One is dark green and the other used to be but now is yellowed out. Ive been trying various fertilizers and I am going to try chelated iron next per advice from Gene in Arizona👍

[Urban Rainforest]

Awesome plants Brian! Those Zamia Nesophilia leaves are massive!

[GeneAZ]

On 11/30/2025 at 4:56 PM, Brian said:

This one is Zamia nesophilia. The photos don’t do justice to the size of the leaflets so I put my hand in one of the photos for size comparison.

New flush hardening off.

The color of the leafs are very nice

Here you can see how big the leaflets are.

fantastic corrugation!

[GeneAZ]

On 11/30/2025 at 6:21 PM, Urban Rainforest said:

Yes Brian I bought it as a 1 leaf seedling. I also bought a 2 leaf seedling the same day which turned out to be 2 seperate plants (twins) that came from the same seed! You can see both of the other 2 plants either side of the big one that is flushing. One is dark green and the other used to be but now is yellowed out. Ive been trying various fertilizers and I am going to try chelated iron next per advice from Gene in Arizona👍

Some individuals are just heavier feeders than others.

[GeneAZ]

On 11/29/2025 at 11:05 AM, Urban Rainforest said:

Not sure why everybody says they are so slow🤔 All of my Latifrons have flushed every year and multiple times as seedlings.

I've found that the most curly individuals of Trappes,  as they reach about cantaloupe size caudex, will switch to a flush cycle closer to every 3 to 4 years.

[Urban Rainforest]

On 12/4/2025 at 1:07 PM, GeneAZ said:

I've found that the most curly individuals of Trappes,  as they reach about cantaloupe size caudex, will switch to a flush cycle closer to every 3 to 4 years.

One of my curly Trappes is almost cantaloupe size. Hopefully it doesnt tap the brakes now🙏🤔

[happypalms]

A nice cycas taitungensis in male cone, they have the smell of dead ants wafting through the garden. 

[Brian]

Here are a few Encephalartos flushing around the garden.

I always love the way this longifolius flushes with recurved leafs

This lehmannii is a thin leaf variety 

Last up is aemulans or what I believe to be aemulans. I lost the tags but did germinate aemulans seeds and it seems to match the description.

[happypalms]

A nice fish of new Leaves on the dioon spinolosum. And the common revoluta living up to its usual show! 

[wimmie]

Two years ago I got a hybrid Encephalartos from a botanic garden overhere. I got it just because it is a hybrid, see the written text "hybrid discard". This summer I noticed "movement" in the crown and I was curious whether it would cone or flusch. It appeared to be coning, two nice green cones with a length of 30 cm's. I now wonder whether it will become a little bit yellow/orange. The cross is natalensis x villosus.

[happypalms]

16 hours ago, wimmie said:

Two years ago I got a hybrid Encephalartos from a botanic garden overhere. I got it just because it is a hybrid, see the written text "hybrid discard". This summer I noticed "movement" in the crown and I was curious whether it would cone or flusch. It appeared to be coning, two nice green cones with a length of 30 cm's. I now wonder whether it will become a little bit yellow/orange. The cross is natalensis x villosus.

Beautiful, how did the lepidozamia seeds go? 

[happypalms]

A nice little dioon califanoi with the leaves just starting to harden off with nice colour! And a nicer bit of colour with the cycas deboensis amongst the flowers! 

[happypalms]

A nice flush of colour with Cerotazamia subrosephylla!

[wimmie]

On 12/9/2025 at 10:27 AM, happypalms said:

A nice little dioon califanoi with the leaves just starting to harden off with nice colour! And a nicer bit of colour with the cycas deboensis amongst the flowers! 

They are stunning, Richard!

[Dan64]

4 hours ago, happypalms said:

A nice flush of colour with Cerotazamia subrosephylla!

Pretty awesome!! 

[happypalms]

5 hours ago, wimmie said:

They are stunning, Richard!

I purchased them as one leaf seedlings, already germinated! 

[happypalms]

4 hours ago, Dan64 said:

Pretty awesome!! 

I got this batch mail order. And then the seller had a ten pack bundle, I just had to buy that batch as well knowing how good they are! 

[wimmie]

Who is that seller?

[happypalms]

Cerotazamia sp Toman st Charlie new leaf on a young plant! 

[Merlyn]

On 12/7/2025 at 8:23 PM, Brian said:

Last up is aemulans or what I believe to be aemulans. I lost the tags but did germinate aemulans seeds and it seems to match the description.

My first thought on seeing the photo was Villosus, just because the leaves are unusually long and thin and instead of the somewhat short/broad "boat" shape.  Umbeluziensis is similar but a bit smaller overall.  The leaves are also a bit pokey for a mature Aemulans.  When it cones it'll be obvious.   

[happypalms]

Hopefully I have the true bifida with a nice new flush! 

[Dan64]

2 minutes ago, happypalms said:

Hopefully I have the true bifida with a nice new flush! 

It’s looking like the real thing 

[happypalms]

1 minute ago, Dan64 said:

It’s looking like the real thing 

Thanks I was hoping so.

[Tracy]

I did a little gathering the other day to get ready for my Encephalartos horridus female cone to open.  Now that I have some pollen I can get busy like a bee.

[Tracy]

2 hours ago, Tracy said:

I did a little gathering the other day to get ready for my Encephalartos horridus female cone to open.  Now that I have some pollen I can get busy like a bee.

First dose of artificial insemination on this girl done this morning. 

[happypalms]

Couple of dioon spinolosum with the new leaves loving the heat!

[happypalms]

Couple of nice Zamia skinneri to add to the collection. Both a male and female so fingers crossed a few seeds! 

[Navarro]

10 hours ago, happypalms said:

Un par de bonitas Zamias skinneri para añadir a la colección. Un macho y una hembra, ¡así que crucemos los dedos para que podamos tener algunas semillas! 

Son unas zamias preciosas y con ese tamaño te habrán costado un ojo de la cara...

Ya nos contarás qué tal pasan el invierno. A priori las zamias de Panamá son bastante tropicales pero faltan reportes de experiencias con ellas en climas más marginales

[happypalms]

5 minutes ago, Navarro said:

Son unas zamias preciosas y con ese tamaño te habrán costado un ojo de la cara...

Ya nos contarás qué tal pasan el invierno. A priori las zamias de Panamá son bastante tropicales pero faltan reportes de experiencias con ellas en climas más marginales

They are gorgeous, I could only carry one at a time due to an arm missing as I hoped out of the nursery, I don’t seem to have any trouble with Zamias in my climate with temperatures as low as 2 degrees celcius. Don’t be fooled by them they are cool tolerant no frost but tolerant.

[Dan64]

11 hours ago, happypalms said:

Couple of nice Zamia skinneri to add to the collection. Both a male and female so fingers crossed a few seeds! 

Fingers are definitely crossed 🤞 

[Navarro]

1 hour ago, happypalms said:

Son preciosas. Solo pude llevar una a la vez porque me faltaba un brazo, como esperaba, y las saqué del vivero. No parece que tenga problemas con las zamias en mi clima, con temperaturas de hasta 2 grados centígrados. No se dejen engañar, toleran bien el frío, aunque no las heladas.

Las del caribe y México parecen irme bien pero con esas más tropicales aún no me atrevido 

Cuales zamias tienes Richard?