(Cycad, Debao Fern Cycad, Multipinnate Cycad)

One glance at Debao fern cycad and you'll think it's a short-stemmed tree fern rather than a cycad, but don't be fooled. This rare cycad was recently discovered by botanists in 1996 in the Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces of China. It is a cone-bearing evergreen plant that grows in sunny, rocky openings among highland forests.

This cycad grows from an underground stem (caudex) with only a small portion extending above the soil. From the tip of the caudex emerges the highly ornate fronds. Each...

(King Sago, Sago Palm)

Sago palm is not a true palm but a cycad. This cone-bearing, clump-forming evergreen is a southern Japanese native and develops a tree-like appearance over time. Its long leaves are dark, glossy green and feathery in appearance but stiff and prickly to the touch. They are densely clustered and radiate from a central point at the top of the woody trunk-like stems.

Cycads are dioecious, meaning plants bear either male or female cone flowering structures. Male plants produce fuzzy, gold-brown...

(Ceylon Sago, Cycad)

The Ceylon sago is a slow-growing cycad that reaches tree-like proportions. This evergreen plant is cone-bearing and closely related to conifers. It is native to the Spice Islands, much of Indonesia and New Guinea. In the wild and in cultivation it is often confused with the visually similar Cycas circinalis.

Ceylon sago has very long leaves (fronds) that are dark glossy green and feathery. They are densely clustered, ending in a leaflet pair at the tip, and lack teeth on the lower...

(Cycad, Queen Sago, Seemann's Sago)

Seemann's sago grows naturally near the coasts on southwestern Pacific islands, mimicking the look of short palm trees. Because of agriculture, this cycad is becoming less uncommon on islands such as Vanuatu, Tonga and Fiji. Its long leaves (fronds) are deep glossy green and feathery with individual narrow leaflets that are held out in a 180-degree plane. Fronds radiate from a central point at the top of a woody trunk-like stem. Newly emerging fronds are soft and flexible, and shed orange-tan fuzz...

(Cycad, Emperor Sago, Prince Sago)

Originally, this cycad species was considered to be Cycas taiwaniana, the Taiwan sago. It wasn't until 1994 with closer taxonomic investigation did botanists realize they were dealing with a separate species. It was native only to the mountains of southeastern Taiwan. This species' name comes from Taitung, the Taiwanese prefecture where it grows naturally.

The prince sago looks very much like the king sago (Cycas revoluta). The main visual differences are that emperor's sago...

(Cycad, Taiwan Sago)

Both the common and botanical name of this cycad is misleading and with an interesting history. Originally, in the 19th century, botanists described this evergreen species based on a herbarium specimen thought to have been collected on the island of Formosa (modern-day Taiwan). By the end of the 20th century, it became apparent that the only cycad truly native to Taiwan was Cycas taitungensis, with Cycas taiwaniana being native only to mainland southeastern China (Guangdong and...

(Quince)

(Buckhorn Cholla, Colorado Desert Cholla, Thornber Cholla )

This large branching succulent is among the most ferociously spined of all cacti. It is native to the far west including California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah, with its range extending well into Mexico. Highly variable, there are four different forms of the species which are micro-adaptations to these four states and their unique climatic conditions. This cholla can be found in the true desert environment, but it also inhabits some grassland and chaparral plant communities as well.

Older plants...

(Chainfruit Cholla, Jumping Cholla)

An upright branching cactus with warty, spined stems, the chainfruit cholla often displays drooping, segmented stem clusters of green fruits. This succulent cactus tolerates mild subfreezing temperatures and excessive drought and heat in summer. Its native to central Arizona southward into the Mexican state of Sonora. If you brush up against this cactus, the segmented fruits left on the stems pop or "jump" off.

Rather than display any leaves, this cactus photosynthesizes light in its bumpy stems....

(Candelabrum Cactus, Cane Cholla, Cardenche , Tree Cholla)

Large, beautifully colored flowers make this tree-like, cold-hardy cactus an excellent candidate for arid gardens. Tree or cane cholla is noted for having the most northerly range of any other Cylindropuntia. It is found at middle to high elevations in Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, West Texas and Kansas, and also extends southward into Mexico.

Tree cholla is composed of short, gray-green stems, either cylindrical or slightly club-shaped. Each areole contains 5 to 30 wickedly barbed...