Blue cycads

Yes, all cycads must be protected! Large specimens command a very big price.

I bet Andy,they gave a big sigh of relief that those old wild plants- some Geoff Stein (palmbob) said are larger than any he's seen in soucal, adapted well to Berkeley. Coning,leafing out fine.
I had my doubts at first. But Berkeley poured a big effort into them as part of the entrance of the South African garden.

I haven't been to Berkeley Botanical Gardens in a very long time. I used to go there all the time. It's one of my favorite gardens, it's a very scientific garden, also. They only plant species of plants collected in the wild.

The minus with that is..no Dragon tree's,no Ficus,no Tree Euphorbia's. Some great plants ignored.Not even a Black Tree fern.
But,they have "tropical look" the garden much more than it used to be. A start.

That's true.

I ordered a blue Cycad. E.lehmanii with curved blue leaves.
I got my tax returns!

Encephalartos lehmannii is a very beautiful cycad! I've seen so many at the San Diego Zoo. Of course, SD Zoo has the second largest cycad collection in North America.

I bet they they had donated to them a good part of that huge collection of Loren Whitelock. On top of the huge collection they already had.
No doubt San Diego Zoo profits off the Cycads they raise and sell at ..plant sales. They do have plants sales, right?

Andy,I had E.horridus about 6 years ago..and somebody took it. I had it hidden..but tenants I rented to next door were sticky fingered. Since they left..my plants have stayed put.
City life.

I've never seen any plants for sale at the San Diego Zoo. It's too bad, because they have some really exotic hard-to-find plants growing there.

wow- SD Zoo doesnt have plant sales? All those cuttings and seeds just tossed out?

I know, it's really a shame! They could be making lots of money selling plant there, also.