Monthly Update March 2010 FEATURED THIS MONTH: Zamia soconucensis Zamia soconucensis Zamia soconucensis cone (Photo by Dale Holton) FRONT COVER: Zamia soconucensis leaf. (Photo by Dale Holton) 2 Featured this month: Zamia soconucensis Palm Beach Palm & Cycad Society Officers by Dale Holton Betty Ahlborn, President (561) 722-8106 This Zamia is named Tom Ramiccio, First Vice President, Sales (561) 582-5915 for the locality in which it Marshall Dewey, Second Vice President, Planting grows, the Sierra De So- Dale Holton, Third Vice President, Programs (561) 965-6792 conusco Mountains of Chia- Ruth Sallenbach, Secretary (561) 965-5430 pas, Mexico. It is found in Ingrid Dewey, Treasurer altitudes of 3,400 to 4,600 Elise Moloney, Membership Chairman feet, where it gets rainfall in Brenda Beck, Editor & Historian (561) 963-5511 excess of 79 inches annu- Appointees ally. It is an understory Charles Beck, Librarian plant and grows mostly in Marty Dougherty, Web Master organic clay soils. It is quite Ruth Lynch, Refreshment Chairman (561) 312-5046 rare in cultivation and possibly en- mental and would make great land- Kitty Philips & Susan Cioci, Activities & Events Coordinators dangered in habitat. scape plants. Of the eight plants that The Mexican government, in I originally purchased, all were an effort to help protect these plants, males. I eventually purchased two VISIT US AT palmbeachpalmcycadsociety.com encouraged the local inhabitants to female plants in hopes of producing propagate these plants so that they more plants. Unfortunately, these could sell seedlings and have some two plants did not cone for several INSIDE THIS ISSUE: income for their efforts. But they years. Two years ago one of them never finished the process, so if you coned and I produced 60 seedlings 4 Featured this Month: Zamia soconucensis did buy some plants from them, you from two cones. I don’t think anyone 5 Allagoptera caudesceens cannot get a permit from the Mexi- else has been able to get more than 3 can government to export them. -6 plants from their efforts. This 6 Virtual Tour of the Holton Garden Sounds sort of like the way our gov- winter I have pollinated eight cones 7 This Months’s “Thank You” ernment works. on three female plants. I purchased my first plants as These Zamias can grow to be 7 Name Drawing Prize two leaf seedlings back in the mid five feet tall with light green leaves. 8 Upcoming Meetings 1990’s. The plants grow quite fast They don’t like freezing tempera- and I believe that they are very orna- tures and will drop leaves when ex- posed to low temperatures, but they grow new leaves Opinions expressed and products or recommendations published in this newslet- when the temperatures ter may not be the opinions or recommendations of the Palm Beach Palm & warm up. They like to be Cycad Society or its board of directors. watered, but seem to do ok when kept on the dry side. I usually fertilize my plants four times a year with palm For permission to reproduce any article that appears in this publication, con- fertilizer. tact the Palm Beach Palm & Cycad Society editor at [email protected] *** 3 4 Allagoptera caudescens VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE HOLTON GARDEN by Charlie Beck by Brenda Beck I first saw Allagoptera ole. These palms are native to low- On February 3, 2010, Dale Encephalartos trispinosus ( fo r me r l y Polyandrococus ) land tropical rainforest along the Holton was the guest speaker at our Encephalartos whitelockii caudescens while touring Dale Hol- coast of Brazil at elevation of up to general membership meeting. Dale, Lepidozamia hopei ton’s garden. I came upon this 1,000 feet. They are reported to per- who retired in 1989, began planting Macrozamia communis unique palm and it stopped me in sist in cleared areas which indicate his spectacular garden in 1991. He Zamia amblyphyllidia my tracks. The top side of the frond they will tolerate full sun exposure. now has approximately 137 species/ Zamia intermis looked like a dark green coconut I have three specimens planted varieties of cycads and 166 species/ Zamia oblique leaf but the underside of the leaf was in the shade in an area which is varieties of palms Zamia pseudoparasitica as white as any Astrocaryum or prone to flooding during heavy rain. Dale’s slide show presentation Cryosophila. Dale informed me it Dale Holton and Ruth Sallenbach included photographs of many of the Zamia pumila was then known as Polyandrococos also have their palms planted in the palms and cycads he has growing in Zamia purpurea caudescens and was native to Brazil. shade. My palms are 16 years old his 1 ½ acre garden. If you were Zamia soconuscensis Polyandrococos was a monotypic and the largest has an overall height unable to attend this meeting, you Zamia tuerckheimii genus but was combined with Al- of 11 feet with 18 inches of trunk missed out on a wonderful opportu- Zamia vazquezii lagoptera. Allagoptera is closely measuring 10 inches in diameter. nity to see magnificent examples of related to Attalea, Lytocaryum, and These palms are not fast growing. the following plants beautifully PALMS Syagrus. Allagoptera caudescens is Some of the reference books placed in the landscape: Acrocomia (Gastrococos) a monoecious palm with a solitary indicate they are not cold hardy, but crispa stem usually 12 to 24 feet tall in as you can see from the photos, no CYCADS Arenga hookeriana habitat, but the stem can also be cold damage is apparent after our Ceratozamia hildae Beccariophoenix sp. short or subterranean. The fronds are 2010 extended cold winter. Another ·Cycas cairnsiana Bentinchia nicobarica pinnate with an extremely short peti- (Continued on page 6) Cycas rumphii Borassus aethiopum Dioon angustifolium Borassus madagascariensis Encephalarto concinnus GROWING CONDITIONS IN OUR GARDEN Calyptrocalyx hollrungii Encephalartos ferox (female) FOR Allagoptera caudescens Carpoxylon macrospermum Encephalartos hildebrandtii Chambeyronia macrocarpa Location 4 miles from ocean in suburban Lantana Encephalartos ituriensis var. hookeri Encephalartos longifolius Soil Sand over a layer of hardpan (pineland flatwood habitat) (Continued on page 9) Encephalartos munchii Irrigation ¾ inch applied twice a week Flooding Periodic inundation in sandy soil acceptable (Continued from page 5) this palm for its unique form, man- Fertilization 3 times a year with Palm special analysis interesting feature of this palm is ageable size, and vividly contrasting that it traps leaf letter in its crown foliage. You might even try this Light Shade (see photo on page 11). palm in full sun as Fairchild Tropi- Micronutrient Deficiencies None observed Allogoptera caudescens is not cal Botanical Garden’s website rec- an easy palm to find but some local ommends. Insect Damage None observed vendors do offer it for sale. Grow *** Hurricane Resistance Excellent 5 6 General Membership Meeting Refreshments GENERAL MEETING Cathy Burger Kitty Philips Date: Wednesday, February 3, 2010 Susan Cioci Tom Ramiccio Time 7:30 p.m. John Irvine Ruth Sallenbach Location Mounts Botanical Garden Ruth Lynch Mary Jaret Whisler Subject: RX for Cold-Damaged Palms Plant Donations Speaker: David McLean Dale Holton Special Thanks EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING to Brenda Skaggs Date: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 for arriving at 5:00 p.m. to keep the Mounts building open for us. Time: 7:00 p.m. Location: Ruth Sallenbach’s Home 6285 S. Military Trail, Lake Worth Winner of the January 6th Name Drawing Prize (561) 965-5430 was Wes Taylor who was not present. He missed out on receiving a copy of Betrock’s Cold Hardy Palms by Alan W. Meerow. PLACE YOUR Business Card Ad, FOR SALE Ad or Discount Coupon $6 PER MONTH OR $66 PER YEAR (approximately 3” X 1 3/4” space) HALF PAGE—$20 A MONTH FULL PAGE—$35 A MONTH E-mail your ad or any photograph or information you would like included to [email protected]. Send your check to: Palm Beach Palm & Cycad Society c/o Brenda Beck P.O. Box 21-2228 Royal Palm Beach, FL 33421 (Check must be received prior to print.) 7 8 (Continued from page 6) Coccothrinax borhidiana Coccothrinax montana Colpothrinax wrightii Copernicia baileyana Copernicia cowellii Copernicia curtisii Copernicia. macroglossa Dictyosperma album var. fur- furacea Dypsis lanceolata Hyophorbe verschaffeltii Hyophorbe. lagenicaulis Itaya amicorum Licuala radula Pseudophoenix sargentii ·Pseudophoenix sargentii var. navassana Pseudophoenix vinifera Gaussia gomez-pompei ·Raphia farinifera (Photo by Dale Holton) Sabal sp. (riverside) ·Satakentia liukiuensis cycads is Zamia soconucensis Schippia concolor (featured this month). Syagrus schizophylla Thrinax excelsa *** In addition, Dale shared slides showing gorgeous orchids dispersed throughout his garden beautifully displayed and growing on palms and A society grows when old other trees in the garden. men plant trees whose Unlike most palm and cycad shade they know they shall enthusiasts who state that every never sit in. plant is one of their favorites, Dale shared that his favorite palms in- Greek Proverb clude Schippia concolor, Coper- 16 year-old Allagoptera caudescens planted in the Beck garden. necia curtisii, Satakentia liukiuen- (Photo by Charlie Beck) sis, and the unusual Gaussia gomez- pompei, and that one of his favorite Please share your garden experiences. Submit your stories and photos to [email protected] 9 10 March 2010 Monthly Update Monthly 2010 March ABOVE: Comparison of top and underside of Allagoptera caudescens leaf BELOW: Leaf litter in Allagoptera caudescens crown (Photos by Charlie Beck) 2228 - Palm Beach Palm & Cycad Society Cycad & Palm Beach Palm 21 Box P.O. FL 33421 Beach, Palm Royal hoto by Dalehoto Holton) (P 11 12 Orchids displayed on a palm intrunk Holton the garden..