DIOON MEJIAE AN ATTRACTIVE MEDIUM SIZED CYCAD

For many people, Dioon mejiae is one of their favorite cycads. It doesn’t get too large, it has a very attractive crown of leaves, and newly emerging leaves are soft, fuzzy and so inviting. They are almost like a baby rabbit’s foot.

Native to southern Mexico and Honduras, this species is similar to Dioon spinulosum. But, unlike the spinulosum, leaflets do not have the spines on the leaflet edges. And, the leaflets appear slightly different shaped. Leaves are four to six feet long, trunks typically under five feet although old habitat plants have trunks over twenty feet, and new leaves emerge vertically. Although they are soft at emergence, they eventually become straight and flat with firm leaflets.. Seeds of this species are large and tan in color.

I’ve found this cycad does best in part day sun or strong filtered light. Right on the coast, some grow it in full sun. But, I’ve found this creates more of a lime colored green cycad. For this reason, I prefer filtered light. It likes good draining soil and will tolerate temperatures into the low 20’s F. Shown her are some larger nursery plants as well as garden specimens. We have all sizes of this species for sale and are putting oversized 2 gallon on sale. This size has caudexes about 4 inches in diameter with an age of about ten years.