Did you realize that when you are looking at a cycad, that you are looking at a plant that has been on the earth since the Jurassic Period? That's right, they first appeared here 206 to 144 million years ago - also known as the 'Age of Cycads'.

They look like palms and have living conditions similar to palms, but they are their own species, unique and not related to any other plant group.

They grow very slowly and live a very long time - some specimens are over 1,000 years old!

They are in general a group of highly resistant plants, living with little rainfall and very easy to look after in the home landscape.  All they ask for is abundant light and moderate watering.  Their roots like to be in fast draining neutral or slightly acidic soil, because the roots will rot if the soil is too moist.  They have few pest problems.

If you do use them indoors, be careful because their leaves are quite thick and not really gentle on the hands or body.

Cycads are found in the tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions of both the north and south hemispheres. They exist on the continents of South Africa, Australia and South America and in Central America and the Caribbean Islands and as far away as Japan, India, and the east coast of Africa.

Usually they will have a short stout trunk with the leaves coming out in a palm like shape, but depending on where they are, they can develop a longer trunk to compensate for soil conditions.  The cones you see on them are really their reproductive structures.  They can be round or cone shaped depending on if a male or female plant.  The female produces seeds if fertilized that will look somewhat like colourful corn seeds.

There is a Cycad Society   http://www.cycad.org/ for you to check out if you want further information and one of the members on the Board of Directors, Dr. Alberto Taylor, comes from Panama City. 

This is from their website: 'My strength is in my antiquity and tenacity...and in you!'  Charles A.
Williams.

So when you go to the garden centre to buy one of these beautiful living specimens, just remember that it will be around for a very long time, and it benefits you both to plant it where it will be admired for what it has gone through to get here.