Cycas panzhihuaensis

[Las Palmas Norte]

I had a number of these Cycas panzhihuaensis grown from seed which initially survived some quite low temps of around -8°C. As small seedling I was quiet impressed only to find they folded up like a cheap suitcase in following winters with milder temps.
Go figure?

Cheers, Barrie.

[Andrew in Holland]

I've grown this cycad, had it planted out in a free draining sunny south facing wall. It died in it's 2nd winter. It can NOT take -8c. It had a bloody hard time with -4c. These are just not realistic claims. Maybe a very fleeting brief few minutes of a -8 as long as the temps during the day come back up to a sunny warmth, and it's not repeated the next night! Sorry to be so negative, but there's a lot of crappe written to sell plants. -8c my 'arris...

[palmking]

I'm not convinced -4C would see them off if kept dry.Though without acclimatisation , in an exposed to the elements location;probably so.

A trick I did read on a very informative site once, was to bury the caudex in soil or leaves. I also cover the caudex too with leaves. This will only work if you've got an overhead canopy for protection from rain. It will also help protect against radiation frost, too.

I've got many species that'll only take my minimum temps(-5C) in dry soils and protected from moisture settling on the plant.

Cycad fronds are fairly leathery and quite tough once hardened up but any rain settling on a cold/frosty night is bound to cause white spotting/necrosis at higher temperatures than the limit of their possible cold tolerance.

Same with many other plants, too. Leaf structure/density plays a big role in a plants survival in cooler climates but a plant with arid origins will need protection from the rain to achieve its true hardiness.

I've grown . Cycas Revoluta outside for years, they get tougher and tougher with acclimatisation and that species , I find is harder to look after than C.Panzihuaensis.

Until I can plant mine outside permanently I accept my claims are conjecture. Though to be honest, how many people have got a Panzhi with a caudex large enough to match a Revoluta, you'd risk planting outside. Mine are still only an inch(2.5 cm) across.

Revoluta seedlings will struggle to survive even inside, without proper care.


Paul.

[Andrew in Holland]

My Panzi had a caudex about the size of a tennis ball, it was a good few years old, had a Cordyline as an overhead canopy, not much but better than nothing. Having leaves around the caudex when they freeze doesn't do any good I think. Mine had a natural layer of garden stuff around it in the winter, but I thought that it did more to keep the wet and cold around the plant, and when it was sunny did too much sheltering. I came to the conclusion that cycads are just not tough enough for my climate. I grant that not all -8c are created equal, so maybe there's a difference. But with -4c shriveling and burning the leaves up, i can't imagine -8c being tolerated anywhere. Here it wasn't...

[Dave Brown]

Not strictly on subject, but related to the original question

I know nothing about panzi, but time and again the 'hardiness' question comes up. I think the problems we have with so many plants is the interpretation of the word hardy. People look at the thermomemter then say "hardy to -xC". Really what they should be saying is "in it's ideal climate, it has been known to tolerate temps down to -xC. A good many Arid plants get cold nights in habitat, BUT followed by warm days. We get cold nights followed by cold days for months

The claim that it is hardy to -8C might not be false, but there may be dozens of other factors that kill it at -4C in Northern Europe.

The formation of hoar frost seems to be a major factor when leaf damage occurs. In arid areas the humidiy may be low enough never to get hoar frost as the air never gets to duw point.

[Eddy]

John wrote

Eddy a Cycas revoluta/cycad is a revoluta.

OOpps, sorry folks I made a 'foe-pare' . What I should have said was not Cycas revoluta but 'Dukou Cycas revoluta' or Cycas panzhihuaensis.
Those who have met me on the occasional 'meet', would not be surprised at such a silly 'clanger'.

[Andrew in Holland]

Not strictly on subject, but related to the original question

I know nothing about panzi, but time and again the 'hardiness' question comes up. I think the problems we have with so many plants is the interpretation of the word hardy. People look at the thermomemter then say "hardy to -xC". Really what they should be saying is "in it's ideal climate, it has been known to tolerate temps down to -xC. A good many Arid plants get cold nights in habitat, BUT followed by warm days. We get cold nights followed by cold days for months

The claim that it is hardy to -8C might not be false, but there may be dozens of other factors that kill it at -4C in Northern Europe.

The formation of hoar frost seems to be a major factor when leaf damage occurs. In arid areas the humidiy may be low enough never to get hoar frost as the air never gets to duw point.

That's quite right Dave. The problem is when northern Europe nurseries are selling them with that claim. They should know better. But it sells the plants.

[fgtbell]

you are both going to laugh your socks off at me,ive read 'soak in warm water for x hours ' so many times now.how do you keep it warm ??

Stick the cup or whatever in your heated prop ? I've never bothered, the heated prop is always too full.

[kata]

Its been a while so on the - temp,

They quote double figures here http://seedrack.com/palmseeds.html He has it as a new one