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Ceratozamia hildae (Bamboo Cycad) - A unique fast-growing cycad with interesting pairs or triplets of lime-green-colored leaflets arranged in an opposite, yet often asymmetrical, arrangement with another set along the many upright 3- to 4-foot-tall central leaf stalk called a rachis. It is the only cycad with more than two sets of leaflets per leaf internode.
Plant in light shade to part day sun and irrigate regularly. Hardy to around 20 ° F. In its natural habitat this interesting plant is often solitary but in cultivation can form a clump that eventually forms a solid bush-like plant.
Ceratozamia hildae is a oak woodland forest plant from the states of Queretaro and San Luis Potosí, Mexico. The name for the genus comes from the combination of the Greek word 'cera' meaning "horn" and Zamia, the name of another cycad genus. The specific epithet honors Hilda Guerra, the daughter of Luciano E. Guerra of Mission, Texas, who was responsible for the first commercial importation of this cycad from Mexico in 1960. Unfortunately, overcollection of this species in the 1960s and 1970s, with many thousands of plants dug from the wild and transported north for sales in the US, led to it being endangered in the wild. The common name Bamboo Cycad is in reference to this plant's perceived resemblance to bamboo with clumps of upright leaves bearing fasciculated leaflets.
On a trip to Mexico in 2010 with cycad expert Jeff Chemnick we were fortunate to see this plant growing in habitat near the town of Aquismón in San Luis Potosí. We have in our collection male and female specimens acquired in 2005 with the plant collection of succulent plant collector Alice Waidhofer. Our plants in the nursery sold between 2008 and 2012 were grown from seed purchased from SeedCo.
Information displayed on this page about Ceratozamia hildae is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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