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Cycas panzhihuaensis (Panzhihua Sago Palm) - A slow growing distinctive plant which when mature has a short stout trunk 4 to 6 feet tall that is covered with a thick fur reddish brown wooly fur (tomentum) with rings of fairly stiff 3-4 (2.3-4.9) foot long pinnate leaves that emerge green but age to a shiny grayish blue-green.
Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil and irrigate occasionally. It is a fairy hardy plant for a cycad and evergreen in climates with winter temperatures above 20° F and hardy but deciduous where temperatures drop below this - some who have grown this plant in east coast gardens report it hardy to 3° F and plantable in USDA Zone 7. It is best were soil drainage is decent to avoid overly wet feet in our winter rainfall climate. In cold winter areas expect a once annual leaf flush in early to mid-spring. This attractive cycad that looks similar to the common sago palm but having bluer leaves and is hardier.
Cycas panzhihuaensis was discovered and named in 1979 and is known from the southern Sichuan and northern Yunnan Provinces of China where it grows in woodland or shrubland thickets on moderately to steeply sloping sites from 3,300 to 6600 feet in elevation. The climate of this habitat typically has warm humid summers and cold frosty winters. On the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species this species was originally listed as Near Threatened in is now listed as Vulnerable because though found in six locations, populations there are continuing to decline due to exploitation of the plants and habitat clearance.
The genus name comes from the Greek name for a kind of palm and the specific epithet refers to the city of Panzhihua (alternatively spelled Panzihua) in Sichuan Province of China with the Latin termination 'ensis' meaning "place of origin" in reference to where this plant was first discovered. Another common name for this plant is Dukou Cycad from a location where it grows in the Dukou region of Southern Sichuan.
The information displayed on this page about Cycas panzhihuaensis is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We 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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