Mexican Bamboo Cycad

Most of the prehistoric sago palms we grow in the garden are Chinese natives, yet a few of the most unusual, winter hardy ones we grow are actually North American natives. Ceratozamia hildae, which looks great this week, hails from oak woodlands in the provinces of Queretaro and San Luis Potosi, at elevations up to 4,200′. Because of overcollection in the 1960s and 1970s when thousands of plants were dug from the wild for US sales, it is sadly, now endangered in the wild. Thankfully, it is now well established in ex-situ cultivation, and fortunately, most plants grown today arise from garden seed.

In the garden, bamboo cycad thrives in both sun and light shade, in an array of soil moisture regimes, except for wet soils. With age, the upright fronds can reach 5′ tall. The specific epithet, “hildae” commemorates the daughter (Hilda) of its original Texas cycad collector, Luciano Guerra.

Ceratozamia hildae

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