Long before mankind started gardening, Mother Nature was already growing gardens of her own.
By growing these ancient plants, even today we can create a garden reminiscent of a time when dinosaurs ruled the animal kingdom and the dominant plant types ruling the plant kingdom were cycads and ferns.
My Cycad - Encephalartos transvenosus (Modjadji Cycad) July 2013
As a garden subject, Encephalartos transvenosus is the tallest and one of the most spectacular of all cycad species. With dark glossy green leaves, the seedlings grow rapidly, developing into an attractive garden plant with 1m long leaves in four to five years. This is one of the fastest growing cycads. All cycads are regarded as being long-lived, surviving for hundreds of years. This species is regarded as not being threatened from a conservation point of view.
Despite all the information I've read up on transvenosus, mine has managed to survive almost seven years of heavy frost, but maybe it would have been bigger in a more temperate climate.
My Cycad when planted in 2007
Cycads are often referred to as “living fossils” because they date back to the age of dinosaurs of which only fossils remain today. Some scientists believe cycads date back as far as 250 million years, but reached dominance about 150 million years ago - widely known as the age of dinosaurs. During this period they were a prominent component of the earth’s vegetation and a very important part of most herbivores’ diets.
Cycads are arranged into numerous families and genera. Most southern African cycads belong to the genus Encephalartos in the family Zamiaceae. This is said to be the second largest genus of cycads and consists, to date, of about 63 living species. They are all endemic to the continent of Africa.
My Cycad almost two years later in 2009
Cycads are slow growers and therefore need time and patience to grow. They can prove difficult in some instances and may require a little more effort to grow successfully, but they are well worth the time and effort spent on them.
Cycads do best in areas with a moderate climate. Certain species however prefer tropical to subtropical areas and there are a few that are able to survive in cold, dry areas. Extreme climates with prolonged periods of intense heat or cold are not suitable, unless the cycads are in greenhouses where the conditions are controlled.
My Cycad Encephalartos transvenosus in 2010
The basic requirements to grow cycads are: unimpeded soil drainage, good soil, warmth and plenty of water. Your pH should be neutral to slightly alkaline, not acidic. I know that my soil is slightly alkaline, as most of my nearby hydrangeas are pink, the colour of which is caused by alkalinity in the soil. They are sun loving, although some forest species requires some shade.
My Cycad in 2012
Growing Encephalartos transvenosus
This species is one of the most attractive of the larger species cycads and responds well to cultivation provided it has a well-drained soil, frost-free conditions and regular watering during the dry months. Adapts well to full sun or light shade and prefers a sheltered position providing protection from the prevailing winds. When young they can be grown as a container plant and eventually transplanted into the garden. This species transplants easily as a mature plant, although it is recommended to remove all of the leaves before doing so. This makes for easier handling and the plant will recover sooner due to less moisture loss. Irrigation systems can be detrimental to cycads, damaging the leaves and stems from the pressure of the water as well as over-watering.
Uses and cultural aspects
In the past, the pith from the stem of cycads was removed, then enclosed in an animal skin, fermented and ground into a meal which was used to make bread. Hence the Afrikaans name of broodboom. Cycads develop into attractive feature plants and E. transvenosus is a particularly attractive species provided it has sufficient space and ideal growing conditions.
- Some info from Plantz Africa
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