Most gardeners assume that all Crassula species are tender, indoor-only plants that will collapse at the first hint of frost. This is broadly true for the genus Crassula (family Crassulaceae) as a whole — the majority of the 200-odd species are indeed frost-sensitive. But there are notable exceptions, and at the extreme end, one species tolerates temperatures that would… Continue reading Cold-Hardy Crassula — Which Species Can Survive Frost?
Author: Jean-Michel
My Sago Palm Is Not Growing New Leaves: 12 Causes, a Diagnostic Decision Tree, and How to Fix Each One
Your Cycas revoluta has been sitting there — same fronds, same size, no sign of a new flush — for months. Maybe a full year. Maybe longer. The internet tells you it is “slow-growing,” and it is. But there is a difference between slow and stalled. This guide walks you through every reason a sago palm stops… Continue reading My Sago Palm Is Not Growing New Leaves: 12 Causes, a Diagnostic Decision Tree, and How to Fix Each One
Magnesium Deficiency in Cycads: Why Old Fronds Turn Yellow and How to Fix It
The oldest ring of fronds on your Cycas revoluta is turning yellow between the veins while the newest flush looks perfectly green. This pattern — chlorosis starting on old leaves, not new ones — points to a mobile-nutrient deficiency. In cycads, the most common culprit is magnesium. It is less dramatic than manganese deficiency (frizzle top) and less discussed than… Continue reading Magnesium Deficiency in Cycads: Why Old Fronds Turn Yellow and How to Fix It
Manganese Deficiency in Cycads: How to Diagnose, Treat and Prevent Frizzle Top
Your Cycas revoluta pushes a new flush of fronds — but instead of the long, straight, deep-green leaflets you expect, the emerging leaves are stunted, crinkled at the tips, streaked with yellow, and visibly deformed. This condition has a name in the horticultural world: frizzle top. Its cause is almost always the same: manganese deficiency. It is the single… Continue reading Manganese Deficiency in Cycads: How to Diagnose, Treat and Prevent Frizzle Top
Best Fertilizer for Cycads: What to Feed Your Sago Palm, When, and How
Cycads are slow growers — but slow does not mean undemanding. A Cycas revoluta that produces a single flush of fronds per year is channeling all its nutritional resources into one concentrated growth event. If the right elements are not available at the right time, the results are immediate and visible: chlorotic fronds, stunted flushes, frizzled leaf… Continue reading Best Fertilizer for Cycads: What to Feed Your Sago Palm, When, and How
Is Sago Palm Toxic to Dogs, Cats & Children? What to Know
Cycas revoluta — universally known as the sago palm — is one of the most popular ornamental plants in subtropical and warm-temperate landscapes worldwide, from Florida to Southern California, the Mediterranean, and coastal Australia. Its architectural silhouette and low-maintenance reputation make it a garden-center staple. But behind that prehistoric elegance lies a serious and widely underestimated… Continue reading Is Sago Palm Toxic to Dogs, Cats & Children? What to Know
Cycas Leaves Turning Yellow? How to Fix Iron Chlorosis with Chelated Iron (EDDHA)
Your Cycas is pushing a new flush of leaves — but instead of the deep, glossy green you expected, the fronds emerge pale yellow with only the midribs retaining a faint green. This textbook pattern has a name: iron chlorosis. Widespread wherever cycads meet alkaline soil or hard tap water, this nutrient disorder is entirely correctable — provided… Continue reading Cycas Leaves Turning Yellow? How to Fix Iron Chlorosis with Chelated Iron (EDDHA)
My Pachypodium Is Losing Its Leaves: Causes, Decision Tree & Solutions
You walk past your Pachypodium one morning and notice a leaf on the floor. The next day, two more. By the end of the week, the crown is thinning visibly and you are convinced the plant is dying. This is the single most common moment of panic in Pachypodium ownership — and in the vast majority of cases, the plant… Continue reading My Pachypodium Is Losing Its Leaves: Causes, Decision Tree & Solutions
Pachypodium Pests and Diseases: Diagnosis, Treatment & Rescue Protocols
Pachypodium is a remarkably tough genus. In Madagascar, these plants survive extreme heat, months of total drought, poor soil, and intense UV radiation on bare rock. In your living room, the threats are completely different — and almost all of them come from the grower, not from nature. Overwatering kills more Pachypodium than every pest and pathogen combined.… Continue reading Pachypodium Pests and Diseases: Diagnosis, Treatment & Rescue Protocols
Growing Pachypodium from Seed: A Germination Guide by Species
Seed is the best way to propagate Pachypodium — and for many species, it is the only practical way. Stem cuttings are unreliable (and impossible for Pachypodium brevicaule and Pachypodium namaquanum), offsets are rare, and grafting is a specialist technique used mainly to accelerate the growth of slow species on Pachypodium lamerei rootstock. Fortunately, Pachypodium seeds germinate readily — fresh seeds of most species achieve 70–90%… Continue reading Growing Pachypodium from Seed: A Germination Guide by Species