I am not sure what your climate zone is but there are some species suited to temperate climates: I have successfully overwintered Macrozamia communis and Cycas panzihuanensis in a sheltered location when temperatures dipped to -6 degrees Celsius. I am experimenting with other species, as well, and will report on my findings as time goes on.
It does look just like, I have 7 of the with 2 shoots each and upto 4 leafs per but I hopeing for a good leaf next summer from one of them.
Mine germinated last Spring, Also hoping to see some more mature leaves this Summer. Maybe Z.floridana Var." Palatka Giant" would be worth a try in your area? I have some outside here that seem to handle lows in the 20's(F). ( These have been exposed to far lower than that this Winter.... they did start growing again after a 23F low so they seem at least to be able to handle that)
Where are these located? Is that really an Encephalartos woodii, the rarest plant on Earth? Only known from a single clump of male plants in S. Africa, no females known to exist. What a fascinating cycad.
Actually, yes. This is a group of three Enchephalartos woodii males at Lotusland in Montecito, California, just south of Santa Barbara. I am a Docent at Madame Walska's Lotusland, and have the pleasure of giving tours of what is called one of the largest, if not the largest Cycad collection in the United States. Go to http://www.lotusland.org to tour the other gardens within Lotusland. I would be happy to provide other photos if you are interested.
Oh, yes, please, more photos. Lotusland is one of THE places I intend to visit. I have heard much about it. Perhaps you could describe the garden and its history for those not familiar with it. --Lori
Lori, If you go to the Lotusland link I sent and click on it, then click on the photo of Madame Walska, you can take a virtual tour of the gardens and read the history of Lotusland (which I find facinating). You can also Google Lotusland for more photos and information that is not provided by Lotusland.org. My photo files are too large to send via the UBC BGCPR web site. If you tell me which cycads you are most interested in, I can photograph them and forward them to you via regular E-mail or a CD.
Oh, very nice! I thought I recognized the plants in the photographs - we had a lovely tour of Ganna Walska early last year, and the Enchephalartos woodii was pointed out. Maybe you were the person giving the tour!
I think I speak for more than a few people when I say I'd like to see them as well. Have you considered using Irfanview or a similar program to resize and create a smaller version of your images?
Hi Daniel, When I said my photo files were too large for posting, I was referring to the number of photos I have taken a Lotusland, as well as the Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens, and numerous garden tours taken as a member of the Santa Barbara Botanical Society. I have over 6,000 digital photos that I have taken at Lotusland, showing the changes over the 18 month period beginning in August of 2005 when I began docent training there. I will be happy to share photos with the UBC Botanical Garden and will make sure to make atribution if any other photograpers images are used (my daughter E-mailed me the two images of the glass winged butterfly's and I had no idea who took them. Thank you for supplying the name). I will explore IRFANView with my wife, who teaches computer for the Ventura Unified School District and is much more likely to be able to decifer how to use it. Thanks again for your great site. I look forward every morning to new photos.
All I can say is "I wish I had the opportunity to take 6000 photographs at Lotusland". I'm very envious. Looking back on 2006, I would list Lotusland as one of the top 5 most memorable new places I visited last year (along with Botanical Beach in BC, Chiricahua Nat'l Monument, Point Lobos and Death Valley).
Every month presents a different facet of Lotusland. I get to give four tours per month, and therefore have the opportunity of viewing the gardens both morning and afternoon, in sunshine and rain. Last month at the Docent pot luck dinner I was able to fullfill a long-time dream and visit the Aloe, Lotus, and Japanese Gardens in full moonlight. I have never visited the Botanical Beach in BC or the Chiricahua National Monument. I envy your abilty to travel. As you know, Kenton Stevens originally owned Lotusland (then known as Tanglewood), and was a pioneer nurseryman in the west. I would love to get my hands on one of his catalogues from the late 1800's, to give more informative tours of the Lotusland Gardens. I am sure you will agree that a two hour tour is hardly enough to cover the 37.5 acres and 17 gardens. Please come back one day. Guy Webb