Sago Palm

Rough Charlotte, NC winter. Do you think this Sago Palm will make a come-back? Any tips?

My best tip is to pray. It does not look promising.

I had a neighbor bring two of his sago's over yesterday. They are both in pots. He wanted advice (I am a Master Gardener and am supposed to know everything about plants - LOL). His problem was not cold, though his two looked just like yours. He brought his in when it got really cold here in Mississippi. His problem was a water-retentive potting soil. He watered frequently, the most common cause of house-plant death is over-watering (he says all his family members are guilty!). To compound his problem, one of the sago's had scale. Unfortunately the scale was almost certainly already in the roots of the plant(s) and the over-watering weakened the plant enough to allow the scale to move onto the stems. I told him what to do about watering and potting soil and told him to go ahead and scrub off the scale with a toothbrush, dipped in alcohol, and to repot the plants. I don't have much hope for his two plants but you never know.

Ken

A Sago dies if the crown dies. Otherwise the lower leaves you simply trim.

Yep. It is difficult to really tell whether the crown is dead or not, since it typically is brown during the dormant months.

Ken

Sago is evergreen. It doesnt go brown. Not a Sago. If dead the crown will go soft. Determine exactly which Cycad you have, (Sago Palm).

I am sorry, but I completely disagree with you. I am certainly no expert on the Sago, and there are numerous varieties, so this is only from my observations. The so-called crown certainly does become brown during dormancy and there will be no green "frond" formation until spring and summer. Even when the "crown" is growing new leaves, it is still mostly brown, just a lighter shade, closer to tan.

By the way, the Sago is not a palm and its leaves are not truly fronds. It is related to the pine and since its leaves don't produce spores, the term "frond" is probably not accurate.

Just my opinion, you understand.

Ken

Have you used PlantFiles to locate the Sago Palm?- not at all certain which varieties are hardy in Missouri, but in the south the Sago Palm is from the Cycadaceae. Cycads and the most common is Cycas revoluta. All cycads are tropical plants Ken. Known also as Jurassic since they are so old. These are also only hardy to like zone 8b. So WHAT plant are you naming viable to Missouri?

I know our Sago Palms here are tropical plants. I am not sure whether there are varieties that are more (winter) hardy. I don't live in Missouri. MS is Mississippi. I am in 8b. Lots of people here, and then on down to the MS Gulf coast, grow sago's. They do just fine until we get a severe winter like this year. Covering will save some but even covering them has its limitations. When grown as houseplants, 95% of their problem is over-watering, particularly in the fall/winter when they go dormant. They don't like "wet-feet"!

I deal in tropical plants and have some 750+ of them. I grow orchids, staghorn ferns (has true fronds), bromeliads, fiddle leaf ficus, plumeria and a handful of other tropical plants. Since my business is based on tropical plants, I hope that I know a good bit about growing them.

Ken

I meant Ms. Sorry. The pollen has me typing like Mr Magoo. I was hoping to find a new plant! But Sago Palms arent kissin kin to the pines. Even in Houston area we lost a ton of Sago Palms this year. Still, all the Cycads I know of are evergreen. Why I wondered which one you had that went dormant and returned from brown...I know Starkville is south of Tupelo in the ne corner of the state. Have been thru there many times. Just like Charlotte on the northside of the State line of SC.

The leaf/stems are evergreen, but the crown is the tan part. As the new leaves emerge from that crown, they will of course be green. I did not make myself clear. They do go dormant though, but the leaves/stems don't brown other than those that die due to aging. Sago are of the pine family, not of the palm family. Certainly not a kissing cousin of our pine but family nonetheless.

Ken

I am in zone 8B in Mobile, Alabama. The two Sago Palms (Pines?) in my yard have survived well in spite of two hard winters. I am thinking of re-routing the front sidewalk and leave the trees where they are, crowding the entry to the walk. Bill Finch our Mobile gardening guru calls them "jelly" palms for the bright orange fruits. I am so curious as to how to make jelly from them. So far I have just saved and dried the seeds.

I have to agree with Kittriana. A sago is a cycad and belongs to the Cycadaceae family. They are closely related to conifers and may be thats where Ken is under the impression that it is in the
pine family . Do you think , Ken , that perhaps the crown you are referring to could be the male cone or the female part depending on whether you have a male or female plant.