Stages of renewal. Click for larger views.
One of my cycads* had been worrying me for a while. It looked sad, very yellow and dry, and I began to wonder if it has departed this world. Then all of a sudden, as Spring got into high gear, it popped out a little pod, which rapidly deployed into a lovely spread of new leafy growth.
This cycle (including my worrying about it) happens each year, and I never tire of it. The witnessing of the new growth in this and so many plants triggers a feeling of renewal in me as well. (Yes, the claim that there are no seasons in this region is, like so many other such claims, garbage.)
It behaves differently from my other cycad, which happily stays bushy and green year around, although it adds a pod of leaves with no less drama when it is good and ready. Perhaps it is in less stressful soil conditions. The other one being too close to that wall can’t help either…
Anyway, the photos show the rapid (over a week) progress of the deployment.
-cvj
*That’s right… it is not a palm.
That’s a good question. I do not know. It is a fairly common one… so common, I don’t know its name. If I learn it, I shall post it back here.
Best,
-cvj
What sort of cycad is that, do you know? It looks a bit like a Japanese sago, but I can’t really tell…
Ah – recognition!
Cheers,
-cvj
“This cycle (including my worrying about it) happens each year, and I never tire of it.”
From one gardener to another, this is perfect.