CYCADS LOSING THEIR PLACE IN WILD
By ROBERT HAEHLE Special to the Sun-Sentinel
Imagine a brontosaurus munching on a palm for breakfast. Remnants of both - the dinosaur and the plant - can be found today in the alligator and the cycad.
Both were at their peak in the Jurassic Period, the age of dinosaurs, from 193 million to 136 million years ago. At that time, the whole Earth was hot and moist, perfect for plants and reptiles.
Sounds like South Florida now - the perfect habitat for the cycad, not to mention the alligator.
Although there are about 130 species of cycads around the world, most populations are endangered or near extinction because their natural habitats are disappearing. Botanic and private gardens may be the only places they will be preserved.
That's one reason Davie nurseryman Jesse Durko travels around the world to collect these rare plants.
"They're old and rare and remind me of the tropics," says Durko, who is among those displaying plants at the Second Annual Palm and Cycad Show and Sale May 7 and 8 at Flamingo Gardens in Davie.
"Coming from New Jersey, anything palmlike meant the tropics to me. Cycads and palms are essential for the tropical look, and that lush appearance is what I strive for in my designs. If you want arborvitae and juniper, you may just as well stay in New York or Canada."
He has collected 40 species and has 20 species for sale. "Cycads are truly a lifetime collection," he says. "My life goal is to have as many species as possible."
Durko goes to a lot of trouble with his collection. He moved his Microcycas four times in the last 20 years, taking them from house to house as he moved.
"I paid $50 for a 1-gallon plant 20 years ago," he says. "The mother plant was killed by lightning in 1991. My plant must be one of the very few left in South Florida."
Cycads are all living fossils and cover a wide range of warm habitats. Durko raves about the "tropical starburst look" of the plants. Habitats range from desert to forest floor. They have a palm look and range in height from 2 to 25 feet. The dry climate types often have blue or gray foliage and need full sun and little supplemental water after establishment. Foliage texture ranges from course to fine. Some foliage arches softly while other fronds are stiff and needlelike.
Care is easy. Plant in well-drained soil, allowing space for good air circulation. Fertilize with palm fertilizer in March, June and October. Some varieties, such as sago palm, are prone to manganese deficiency. Disease problems should be rare if plants are located in an environment similar to their original habitat. Insect problems are few, but be alert for scale and mealybug, particularly on sago palm.
Cycads are not hurry-up plants. Durko propagates by laying the seed partially submerged on damp soil in dappled shade. He waters the seed sparingly once a week.
The plants may germinate anytime from one month to several years. Sago palm also is propagated by "pups," small branches growing from the mother plant. Durko carefully cuts or snaps these off the mother plant and lets them dry out for a day. Then he dips the cut end in copper fungicide and plants the pup in a pot with a well-draining mixture of sand or perlite. He waters the pups sparingly and keeps them in partial shade.
Cycads are used in the garden as ground covers, accents or specimens. They also are good as potted subjects, and some enthusiasts use them as psuedo-bonsai.
The following cycads are the main plants in this group:
-- Queen sago (Cycas circinalis) can reach 20 feet in height. It has large, stiff, dark green 8-by-2 feet feathery leaves. The queen sago originates in southeast Asia and the Pacific islands.
-- King sago (Cycas revoluta) can reach 15 feet with dark green, glossy foliage to 7 feet long. King sago or sago palm is the most popular cycad. It comes from southern Japan.
-- Cardboard plant (Zamia furfuracea), an adaptable cycad from Mexico, reaches 5 to 6 feet in height. The name comes from the stiff architectural foliage.
-- Coontie (Zamia integrifolia) is Florida's own cycad, which was used as a food source by the Indians. Fernlike leaves only reach 3 feet in height.