Hello everyone. I was wondering if anyone who knows anything about sago palms can tell me what the estimated worth is of this old palm tree. It has been in my grandmothers front yard for 30+ years. It is in a planter on the side of the driveway, and she says its getting to big and she wants me to remove it. Not in the biz of trees at all, but was told by a friend of mine who told me that a 30 year old sago is worth something. I have never seen a sago that looks like this one. It has two trunks coming off the same base. There are smaller palms growing all around it and it has seeds coming out everywhere. I would say one is roughly 8 feet tall and the other around six feet tall. Needed some expert advise. Also if someone could tell me the safest way to remove it that would be great. I'm thinking I'm going to need a crane, and a BIG box? Here is the pic. Thanks in advance Mike
Hard to put a price tag on something like that. They're rarely offered at that size. A cluster like that could command something in the neighborhood of $3,000 to the right buyer. Very nice specimen! Cheers, LPN.
If it was a 30 year old semi-mature tree, you'd be talking something more like $30,000 to buy. And cycads are rare and valuable, compared to trees.
WHAT? Are you freekin serious!!! Where would you even start to look for a buyer if I were to sell it, and what would be a good starting price? $30,000 seems crazy to me, but like I said I know very little on this subject. Oh, and what is the likelyhood of a successful transplant. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks again Mike
In general I thought Cycads only grew about 1 inch on the trunk every 4 years. Maybe thats an old wives tale??? Ed
$30,000 would certainly be a stretch. Either way the best way to sell it would be to network through a major specialty nursery. There are a number of reputable growers in SoCal that could take it on consignment and pick up a percentage once it sells. They may want to buy it outright too. Cheers, LPN.
Get two or three nurseries involved in bidding against each other, that could push their offers higher ;-)
Just a couple more questions. Can I collect the seeds from this plant and store them for extended periods of time? If so can someone explain the method? Also the smaller ones that are growing around it can just be pulled up and replanted? If so what is a good planting mix to use for transplants? Thanks again
You can store them but not indefinitely. Cycad seeds are living organisms (as are all seeds) and will only survive if given the right conditions. They must be kept cool, hydrated (i.e. soaked in water for a day every 3 weeks or so) and then planted within a reasonable time. You can test viability by imersing them in a bucket of water. Generally speaking, if they sink, they are viable; if they float, they are not and can be discarded. The small "pups" around the parent plants can be pulled and replanted, as you suggest. See the cycad potting mix recipe on my web site. That is a beautiful specimen!
