Japanese King Sago Palm. This is not a true palm, but instead it is a Cycad and this species is native to southern Japan and Taiwan. It has somehow been thought to be very cold tender, but I have never seen one killed by the cold, even our -4°F in 1985. Even though its leaves may burn severely, it will put out new fronds in the spring. This plant is dioecious, meaning that there are separate male and female plants. But most plants have to be quite old before they begin to flower. They are so slow in developing a trunk, that for all practical purposes, one should just count on the height of the foliage as the ultimate height. It grows well in sun and shade, but plants in the shade put on a much longer leaf or frond. The second slide shows a female plant initiating its flower, the third slide shows the seed forming under the sepals, and the last slide shows a male flower. These flowers do not inhibit the terminal bud from resuming its growth the next spring, as it will initiate a new flush of growth from the center of the inflorescence. If one has a protected site in zone 7b, I would not hesitate to try this species. The last picture is the size that you will receive.
Zones 7b-11.
