Garden notes: Cycas Revoluta

I have three ( now four) Cycas or Sago palms (as they are called in English) . They aren't actually palms though.  They are known as living fossils as they are among the oldest plants recorded on earth.  

Cycas Revoluta does well in the drought conditions of the Mediterranean. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycas

There is a male and female even in plants.   This is the female Cycas revoluta and not long ago I cut back all but a few of the new babies called "pups" that come up around the trunk of the female plant.  

They take a bit of attention to cultivate and I have only succeeded in rooting one which is thriving now in a pot . 

Here it is in its first home.

  I guess there is no guessing which is the male of my three plants.  

 Reproduction happens after 10 years of growth and has been going on for the last several years with mine .

Pollination will occur with birds and insects and then there will be more "pups" under the females.  

This is the first year that we have seen such a display of Cycas manhood, though. 

And this is new growth from the female that happened in spring.  The only danger (other than over- taking the garden in scale) is that the Cycas Revolta is poisonous to pets and humans if ingested.   

 But it not really very inviting to munch on with it's stiff spiky fronds so I have decided it's not a danger to Mozzi.  (He only sprays the plants. I haven't seen him eating any).

Here below is the glorious Flamenco Trumpet Vine , in full bloom at the moment.  I planted it in memory of my father who hailed from Virginia.  I remember seeing this vine growing wild along the roadsides near Richmond when I visited there as a child of nine.  Funny what we remember.