This bronze flushing Encephalartos sclavoi is pushing up what appears to be a cone.  It is late in flushing this year based on prior year's when it has flushed in May.  What is interesting is the color of what appears to be the cone which is just becoming apparent.  Last year's flush is pictured first as it was a big one that just kept giving.  Last pair of photos are what I think is the cone with the novel color.  I see in Loran's book that E sclavoi "mature" female cones are yellow to tan, while "mature" male cones are yellow to pinkish yellow.  I'm a bit surprised by the color of this pre-emergent cone, whichever sex it turns out to be.  I can't help wondering if the color of the normal flush is playing into the early stage color of what appears to be a cone.

As the cone pushed out and became 3 cones instead of 2, it is looking more like what I would call a light tan color.  That matches the description that Loran Whitelock provided in his book for the male cones and these are looking like male to me at this point.  Shucks, I was hoping for another female.  Lots of male Encephalartos pushing cones in my garden right now including Encephalartos trispinosis,  Encephalartos longifolius, Encephalartos natalensis x horridus and the Encephalartos arenarius x woodii.  Ironically this is the year my female E horridus appears to be taking a year off from coning and pushed a large flush instead.  Well, I can still hope for some others to push out a female cone in the future.  My largest Encephalartos princeps still hasn't flushed this Spring or Summer which makes me suspicious that it is building up energy for a cone.

Hi Tracy

Do you have recent photo of it? How fast they grow? Can they handle inland sun you think? Cold/frost? I am in Bay Area 9b

I think Encephalartos sclavoi is reasonably hardy and can take weather down into the mid twenties Fahrenheit with no damage. I am growing one in Escondido and they definitely have no problem with full sun, but I could not tell you the exact hardiness based on my plant. I have a mangosteen in a pot so I am in a microclimate.