WATCH IT GROW
Coffee grower found cycad in rain forest
Posted on Sun, Jan. 13, 2008
By GEORGIA TASKER
GEORGIA TASKER / MIAMI HERALD STAFF
This cycad from Guatemala, Zamia tuerckheimii, has leaves that look softer than they are.
Botanical name: Zamia tuerckheimii
De-
scription: A cycad from Guatemala with gracefully arching leaves. Leaflets are glossy, pointed and full on the individual fronds, resulting in a beautiful abundance.
The cycad was discovered by Hans Von Turckheim, a German who went to Guatemala to run a coffee plantation. It lives in rain forests among limestone boulders, according to Loran Whitelock's The Cycads. Whitelock says the lovely plant should be seen more often in cultivation, but it, like other Guatemalan plants, has not been widely commercialized. It exhibits good cold tolerance, he writes.
Height: 5 to 10 feet (not recorded at 10 in cultivation)
Light: low to medium light
Culture: Easily grown with moderate moisture and controlled-release fertilizer.
According to Whitelock, the plants ''seem to do better under a maximum of 50 to 60 percent shade. With brighter light, the coning frequency is far greater than it is in habitat.'' That indicates the plant's metabolism is quickened by brighter light. In nature, the female cycad takes about 20 months to produce a mature cone, as compared to less than half that time for other zamias.
Join the discussion
The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Not a registered user? It's Free!
Register here. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.
