Dioon edule cycad beginning to grow

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The way that a Dioon edule grows can sometimes be a little bit strange, as compared to other cycads, like the common sago palm (Cycas revoluta). Dioon edules have a tendency to sprout out from the sides.

Here is a nice specimen that suffered quite badly after I cut down the tree that had been shading it for the past ten years. It will be OK, but it will take a while for it to get used to things. This plant started sending up a couple of a shoots a few inches away from the main trunk about a week ago. The main trunk is now beginning to flush. It's nice to see, because it coned last year and hasn't produced any new leaves since the year before that.

The slightly brownish color of the new leaves is normal for a Dioon edule. Once the leaf has reached its final size, it will turn bluish green and harden off. When you see your cycad begin to flush like this, go ahead and give it plenty of plant food and water. I use ordinary plant food spikes mostly, along with Osmocote®. Since this is in a very protected area, I cut away the old leaves, but if there is any risk of damage to the new leaves, it's a good idea to leave the old ones on until the new leaves have hardened. Any damage that is done to the soft young leaf will become permanent, so don't touch it!

By the way, the palm tree to the right is a Phoenix reclinata x rupicola cross. The plant just above the date stamp is an Amaryllis. The plant flowing around the two growing leaves of the edule is ice plant. And peeking out from under the rock with the gecko is natal plum.

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