Forum rules
This section is dedicated toward maintaining one active thread for each Agavaceae species/subspecies/variety/cultivar. Please feel free to add information and/or photos to existing threads or start your own by adding Genus/species as the thread subject. Note that listings are displayed alphabetically. Enjoy!
Vista is not a hot climate...its not much warmer in summer than Hayward. So,I would think it would grow..but not fast. That one is getting dawn to dusk sun and no other truly competing plant( trees,shrubs) near it..that's best case at least.
Great looking Cycads..near the top of the list. Although seeing photos of Cycas "desilet-o" ,makes me move that one way up too.
I’m not sure what would do best in your cool climate, but my Cycas Cupida so far has been undeterred by anything. Including wet winters. It’s less hardy than Cairnsiana but with your mild winter lows you would never have to worry.
UC Berkeley has the largest number of blue South African cycads..big and old trunking plants,but,c'mon,they got those when they were confiscated at SFO when the then president of the cycad society of the US,was caught importing them illegally. Even then,some have eeked by on the cool Berkeley summers. Lots of narrowing of the crown. Others seem to have taken.
Now,Australian blues? Never seen one. The green species of Australian cycads do fine. Lepidozamia and Macrozamia thrive here. Some huge Macrozamia at the Oakland Zoo parking lot.
So,I will live vicariously through you on the C.cairnsiana. Its always been near the top since seeing it in Whitelocks big Cycad book I bought 15 years ago.
I didn't know that about the UC cycads. It's the one group of plants I have heard the most stories about - theft, smuggling, etc. Also orchids I guess. The plants that inspire those passions are often rare and consequently expensive and desirable...
They kept those Cycads in a greenhouse for a couple of years re rooting them. Now,its been awhile,but I THINK it's after that UCB then asked for funds to build a South African section. The plants value got the ball rolling.