adminTHIS prehistoric plant species has fascinated mankind the world over —cycads really fit in the dinosaur era and have been around for that long. You only need to look at their architectural leaf structure, cones and ground protruding trunk to be convinced of this.
Though they have survived for this long they perhaps might disappear in our present age due to man’s activities, unless we put concerted effort to halt their extinction.
There are many species of cycads in the world which survive in a variety of climates but our focus today is on our own Zimbabwean cycads. We have three cycad species namely encepharlartos chimanimaniensis, encephalartos concinnus and encephalartos manikensis. It is quite not an easy task to distinguish them we will leave that to the botanists.
Zimbabwean cycads have had a rather sad story because the arrival of white settlers in the country caused the mushrooming of the now lucrative landscaping industry.
There was a silent scramble for many years in the Eastern Highlands to collect these cycads. Some collectors even smuggled cycads out of the country.
Sadly, encephalartos chimanimaniensis is now near extinction in the wild according to the “Southern African Plant Red” data lists, which is a publication which records the threatened status of plant species in Southern Africa.
The prospects for the other two species are also not that rosy as they continue to face threats namely deforestation, agriculture and collection. What then is the way forward for us gardeners who love this majestic plant and would love to have it in our gardens? Approach the Department of National Parks and Wildlife for a permit for plants which are not directly coming from the wild.
Remember you can be prosecuted for picking, cultivating, selling, purchasing, transferring or possession without a valid permit. So the practise of buying roadside plants could lend you in jail. However, the story of our cycads need not end sadly but can be a happy ever after.
The few remaining cycad sites need to be protected and ex situ conservation sites established particularly in the communities where the cycads occur.These communities can be allowed to grow and sell the F2 generation plants relieving pressure off the wild population. Cycads are quite easy to propagate. The process can start by pollinating the female plants when the plant is ready; the scales on the female cone open up to about 2-3 millimetres.
Pour the pollen mixed in water which you would have collected before hand and stored in a deep freezer in jars. The pollen can be stored for up to two years. Harvest the seeds when the cone begins to crumble. Wear gloves when you wash the seeds as the seed coating is believed to be carcinogenic and plant them in a mixture of two parts river sand and one part pine bark.
Plant the seed by simply placing it lying horizontally on the media and press it down slightly.
Cycad seeds usually germinate in 6-9 months. This ancient relic is not that fuss when it comes to growing conditions. It prefers morning sun and afternoon shade.
If it’s planted in a shady place it will produce spindly growth and will take a long time to produce cones. Ensure that the site you choose for your cycads is well drained, otherwise the plant will rot.
A neutral pH of 6 or 7 will suffice fertilising with organic compost. Pests and diseases are not a real threat as the plant is quite resilient but look out for scales. Do your part as a gardener to conserve the Zimbabwean cycad for the sake of future generations.
Happy gardening!
Andrew is a horticulturist by profession and can be reached by email at [email protected]
Online Reporter