Cycads in Cancun

Here are a few photos of some cycads I saw at a resort on a recent trip to Cancun, Mexico.  I will work on identifying them soon.  Let me know if you can identify any of them right away.

Specimen 1

Specimen 2

Specimen 3

Time for a palm? Rhopalostylis sapida

I figured I should post about a palm as this blog is not specifically about my Cycads.  Here is Rhopalostylis sapida.  This palm originates from New Zealand and is capable of withstanding some pretty cold weather which makes it suitable for the Beaumont-Banning Pass area.  This species prefers partial sun until reaching a mature age.

The specimen is pretty young, but even at this young age, you can see the stout nature of the fronds.  They are quite thick in proportion to the leaves and are a dominant feature when observing the plant.  These thick, taut, fully rounded fronds allow for little to no sagging which gives this palm its amazing look.

The leaves are also quite stiff and stout and receive much of their strength from the petiole, which can be seen below in the picture below.

The constant upright and stout nature of this palm can even be seen at this early age in these profile shots.

 


All of these features make for a beautiful mature palm that stands out from common species especially in areas that experience a colder climate.  I can't wait for this palm to age into the beauty displayed below.

photo from wikipedia.

Dioon spinulosum

Here is a Cycad you won't find unless you go looking for it, Dioon spinulosum.  As you can see this has a similar structure to the common Cycas Revoluta (Sago Palm) and so it is easy to see the relationship although they are quite distant as far as Cycads go.  This species won't be found at big box home improvement stores, you will most definitely have to seek it out.

Notice how the leaves are flat across and do not angle up like Cyca Revoluta.  They are also much broader, a lighter green. and have a glossy tint to them.

Notice the very small spines that line the edge of each leaf. These are not really noticed when handling the plant.

The base near the stems is much more open to the outside world than a Sago and does not have sharp spines.  The caudex is also much smoother and delicate.  This caudex is about 4-5 inches, I'm guessing the plant is about 5 years in age.

You can also see that another Cycad of the same variety has grown right next to the primary caudex.  I have not investigated the growth to determine its source yet but Dioon spinulosum is not known for creating suckers.  However it is possible although unlikely for Dioon spinulosum to create suckers on the primary caudex.  (this one is quite far away)

The wind has tweaked some of the leaflets as you can see.  The Dioon spinulosum also, like mostly any plant, does not like to touch the gate as is apparent in this photo.  Notice the sunburn on some of the leaves.  This is due to the plant having grown up in shade and being replanted in sun.  Eventually the plant will fully acclimate although this specimen could actually use more shade.  There is Phoenix canariensis that stands between this Cycad and the sun.  Once the palm acclimates the Phoenix canariensis will grow very quickly and create large amounts of shade during the mid day sun.  Dioon spinulosum will thrive in a partially shaded environment.

Growth Update

I am about to post another entry on a Cycad but I figured I would post a growth update since I use these pictures to track growth for my own purposes.  Here is current a shot of Cycas Revoluta, referenced as specimen 2 in Cycas Revoluta.

  Here is a current photo of specimen 3.  Notice in both instances the new leaves have now darkened and hardened.

A new photo of the largest specimen of Zamia Furfuracea.  The slightly more green tone to the new leaves is apparent, especially at the extremity of the branch.  Fuzz or fur has also greatly dissipated on these new leaves.

Here is what Beaumont does to a Banana tree that was about 7 feet high.  The temperature never got to or below freezing.  This will come roaring back in Spring.  Actually there are three trees in this picture, the smaller two have been killed above the surface.  The roots of all these trees remain alive and well.

Zamia furfuracea

Zamia furfuracea is probably the second most common Cycad and is sometimes available at common big chain nurseries.  This species originates from Veracruz, Mexico.

This was the second type of Cycad I acquired and it came in a grouping of three plants in the pot.  I immediately separated the caudexes as this plant can become quite unruly looking in my opinion when allowed to grow in close proximity to the same species.

Pictured above is the first of the smaller plants removed from the main root ball.  This one received quite a bit of damage to root system during separation but is recovering nicely.  The caudex is about five to six inches in diameter.  The green leaves show here nearly all died off but the new set survived and are continuing to grow.

The second plant removed from the cluster was the smallest, having a caudex of roughly 4.5 inches in diameter.  This plant started its growth further from the other two and was much easier to remove its roots from the bunch.  This plant is now growing nicely with these and the next set of leaves is coming along nicely. 

As you can see from the picture below, a new set of leaves first grows out from the caudex brown in color and covered in a fur like surface.  This color gradually fades to green and the fuzz falls away as the leaves mature.

 

Below is a closer look at the caudex of this species and the base of the stems.  Notice how this species of Cycad does not have thorns like the common Cycas revoluta on the stems, but rather small somewhat dull nubs.

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The Landscape

I thought it would be beneficial to demonstrate the growth of my garden/hobby as it began and as it progresses.  The above photo is a compilation of many images created a panorama view of my yard as I had purchased it.  I decided to hard scape the backyard before I began the landscape features.  This is by no means the only way to work at this hobby, but it may be perhaps the safest as you don't need to worry about construction workers damaging your plants inadvertently.  The previously installed plant life is typical of this area and thrives in the environment.  However, I am not inclined to grow such plants and so I began my conversion.

First Step: Destroy Everything

Second Step: Install Iron

Third Step: Plumb it

 Fourth Step: We may need some concrete, more specifically Gunite

Fifth: Add some stone?

Sixth: Some concrete and entertainment features

Seventh: Add plaster of choice, water, cheap home depot palms, stain on fence and hound.

Dog tests water quality


Eight: Lighting never hurts

Nine: Plant stuff

10: Realize that this stuff is boring and we need more interesting plants.

Cycas Revoluta, "The Sago Palm" Growth and Anatomy

I currently have four Cycas Revoluta in my yard and they are planted in very different types of areas resulting in different growth rates, coloration, and growth type. I currently only have photos of the three in my backyard so I will be using those for demonstration.  The specimens are also pretty much my oldest Cycads as they are the only species that are readily available at nurseries for a cheap price.  Cycads grow very slowly.  These specimens of Cycas revoluta in my possession are all at least five years old the larger one is more like seven for eight perhaps.

Specimen 1, Cycas revoluta
The youngest of the three shown.  This is planted in a total shade area and in horrific soil.  Actually all of the soil in this area is hard clay and is horrible for growing Cycads and Palms.  One must dig deep and wide and replace much of the natural soil with very well draining nutrient rich sandy media.  Regardless of how bad the environment is, Cycas revoluta will do fine.  This plant also sits at deep area of the yard which allows for too much water for the plant.

The worst aspect of this plant is the fact that it has been damaged badly at the edge of the grass by unscrupulent gardeners and their edger.  I have owned this plant for five years and grew it to this size in a pot.  This specimen has always been grown in shade.

Specimen 2, Cycas revoluta
This is the second to oldest specimen I have.  The plant grows in full sun and sits in ideal soil that just so happened to be created during the construction of the pool.  The soil is very sandy and drains quite well next to the subterranean walls of the pool.  This specimen has shot 3 new leaf sets this summer and is growing quite quickly.

The newest set of leaves can be seen at the top of the plant and are a lighter green than the others.  They are also still fine to the touch and have yet to harden.  The new set began to sprout roughly a month ago.

Below you can see how the Cycad grows.  From the top of the Caudex or wood covered ball that is the base of the plant, the leaves will sprout as a set and unravel like yard of string rolled across the floor. These leaves will eventually be pushed outwards and then point down as new sets emerge.  The Caudex will eventually grow upwards as well rather than just expanding, thus forming "a trunk".  This does not happen for many years. 

Specimen 3, Cycas revoluta
This specimen receives nearly all day sun but sits in a low point of the yard and thus receives too much water.  This along with over fertilization due to this pooling effect has caused yellowing of the leaves.  This specimen also has a brand new set of leaves, roughly two weeks old.

A close up of the new set of leaves having just finished sprouting.

Here is a better shot of the Caudex, the wood ball base that expands as a ball until eventually it begins to grow upward at roughly a decade in age.

Eventually a Cycad can reproduce one of two ways.  A mature Cycad can grow a cone and create seeds.  There are female and male types and the male must pollinate the seeds of the female.  The other type of reproduction is through basal suckers as seen below.  A small offset plant will being to form at the base of the caudex and eventually grow just as the parent plant does.  These can be cut away and transplanted elsewhere.  Below you can see a set of leaves emerging from an offset that is still subterranean, thus its caudex is hidden.  This specimen has another offset on the opposite side that is also still subterranean.

Lastly this specimen has an additional offset that is no longer subterranean and therefore has a visible caudex that was formed from the parent plant.  This suckling has only one leaf and it is in very poor shape.  Due to the position and orientation of the small caudex, I am guessing that is experiencing some wrought due to water soaking the top of the caudex.