The first thing to know about cycads is that they are not
palms.They look just like palms. The few remaining cycads
are just the remnants of a primitive plant family that goes
back over 200 million years,and was the dominant form of
vegetation during the Mesozoic era ( age of the dinosaurs).
Cycads are "way" older than palms.

Growth Rate

Cycads are usually considered very slow-growing. True,
some of them are pretty slow, especially if grown under
less than ideal conditions. But they can be enticed to move
along more quickly if conditions are to their liking. The
faster cycads may be roughly on par with the slower palms,
and there actually are other plants that grow slower than
cycads! But the wait is well worth it, as anyone who has seen
the magnificence of a large plant will attest. Several species
will produce adult-type leaves over a meter long in only
about 5 years from seed,and have a full diameter caudex
(stem) by about 10 years.

Cultivation

Cycads come from a diverse range of habitats, so one magic
formula for success doesn't exist.There is one thing that
every last cycad does require, and that is to have an extremely
well-draining planting mix. "Water should go out as fast as
you can pour it in".Waterlogged cycad roots wil die, and this
can lead to the demise of an entire plant. We use a mix containing
25% by volume each of the following: coarse (#12) sand,
finely ground orchid bark, fine-size perlite,and coarse peat moss.
Above all don't use a finer sand. A few other generalizations
also normally apply. Small seedlings prefer some extra heat
in the winter and protection from cold winter rains. Small
seedlings don't like to be placed directly out in the sun. It is
best to keep them in pots for the first 5 years or so,until the
leaves begin to take on an adult character. This allows you to
move the plant around, keeping it in the best possible micro-
climates following the seasons. Bigger plants are more tolerant
of sun and cold and most of them can go safely in the ground
(don't forget about drainage). A strong-growing cycad can
usually stay in a tall 1-gallon pot for its first 2 (maybe 3 ) years,
then go into a tall 4-gal. pot for the next 2 or 3 years, followed
by planting in the ground. There are many exceptions to
general guidelines, so always ask if there are peculiarities
about a certain plant when you buy it. A dwarf cycad, for
example, may stay in a 1-gal. pot the whole while until it's
time to plant it out.

But Whoa, Those Prices!

Why are these things so darned expensive? Just about
everything to do with cycads makes them cost more. First
you need a male and female plant which both decide to
produce a cone the same year. The rare cycads don't do
this very often ( one reason they're rare), and pollination
success is usually poor. Anywhere from 20 to about 600 seeds
may be produced by the cone, about 50% of which are
actually viable (that's for a good batch). Most cycads grow
in leech-infested jungles, countries in perpetual civil war,
or where the nearest road is 200 miles away ( or all of these).
A single seed may cost over $20! Commercial trade in many
seeds is illegal because most of the species are endangered,
and so cultivated plants must be relied upon for seeds.
Importing small plants is legal, but permits from the two
government and CITES are expensive, as are the plants
themselves purchased from the countries of origin. Sometimes
only plants may be imported because of restrictions on trade
in seeds. A freshly harvested seed must sit for up to 2 years
to finish developing before it will germinate. Seeds can die if
improperly stored. Germination may then take another 6 months,
and the first leaf may appear after a few more months. A year
after germinating we finally have a healthy 2 or 3 leaf seedling,
and the growth finally starts to accelerate. Nearly all cycads
have defeated efforts at their mass production in these ways.
Cycas revoluta and Zamia furfuracea have entered the mass
market, mainly because they have been in cultivation a long
time and seeds are produced from old plants on large farms.
But even these are expensive, because of their slow early growth.

We sincerely hope you enjoy your cycads
Paul and Karen Sternberg, Living Cycads Nursery