Zamia furfuracea
We have all seen, we even probably have, the Cycas revoluta. This incredible plant that, although it looks like a palm tree, as we commented in an article ... it is not. In fact, cycads appeared more than 150 million years before palm trees, which means that They coexisted with the largest reptiles that have walked through terrestrial forests: dinosaurs.
But in addition to the Cycas, there is another genus that is gradually becoming more visible in nurseries, the zamia. Do you want to meet her?
Zamia amblyphyllidia
Zamia is a genus of cycads that belongs to the Zamiaceae family. It includes some 50 species, all of them native to America (both North and South, passing through the Center). They are shrubs whose height does not usually exceed a meter and a half. Its pinnate leaves, when touched, feel rigid and also soft, since they have very short 'hairs' that cover them. Although it is not a thorny plant as such, it does has some tiny ones on the petioles, that is, in the stem that joins the leaf with the rest of the plant.
Conclusion dioecious, that is, there are 'male feet' and 'female feet'. Thus, in order for flowers to produce viable seeds, they must be pollinated. Task that can be done by passing a brush from one plant to another, or leaving it to the garden insects 🙂.
Zamia loddigesii var. broadleaf
And how are they cared for? Well, although they are not well known in many places yet, we do not have to worry about their exoticism. And is that Zamias are cared for exactly the same as Cycas: they must be located in an area where they receive direct sunlight, plant them in a porous substrate (such as black peat mixed with 30% perlite, for example), and irrigate by letting the soil dry between waterings in order to prevent the roots rot.
Fertilize it every 15 days throughout the growing season and you will have a curious plant in your yard or garden.