Gardeners at Ventnor Botanic Garden are hoping to transfer pollen and generate seeds of a Cycad plant for the first time in the UK for 60 million years, thanks to the growth of both a male and female ‘cone’.
Recently a Cycad (Cycas revoluta) produced a male cone – the second time this has happened outdoors in the UK, the first was at the gardens in 2012.
Cycads are primitive plants that dominated the Earth’s flora from a period some 280 million years ago until the evolution of flowering plants. During their reign, the Earth’s climate had naturally high levels of CO2. The climate of the Earth today, with artificially raised CO2 resultant from fossil fuel emissions, may have influenced the cone production.
Earlier this week, VBG said that sadly the Cycad would not bear seeds as a female cone would be required.
Now, the first signs of a female cone appearing have been seen on one of our other Cycas revoluta Cycads. This is the first female cone outdoors in the UK, and the first time anyone has had both male and female cones – let alone at the same time. This presents VBG with an exciting opportunity to transfer pollen and generate seeds for the first time in the UK for 60 million years.
Buzzing!!!!!
Fantastic, can’t wait.
Well my 30 year old cycad, grown from a batch of mixed cycad seed, produced a cone last year in my cold garden in the North Downs. Is that unusual?