Seed guide
Buying cycad seeds
Growing from seed is the cheapest way into rare cycads and the slowest — so it is worth being fussy about what you buy. Six things to establish before you pay.
See both parents
A seed is only as good as the plants it came from. Ask for a photograph of the mother plant and of the father plant that supplied the pollen. On Cycad Central sellers can attach both when they list a seed batch.
Ask whether pollination was controlled
Hand-pollinated seed from a known male gives you a predictable plant. Open-pollinated seed from a garden with several species nearby may produce hybrids, which are worth far less.
Check freshness and harvest date
Cycad seed does not keep indefinitely, and viability drops the longer it sits. Ask when the cone was harvested. Seed from the current season is worth paying more for.
Ask how viability was tested
A float test (sinkers usually have a firm kernel, floaters often do not) and cutting a sample seed open to look for firm white tissue are simple, honest checks. Ask the seller what percentage they expect to be viable, and treat a guarantee of 100% with caution.
Understand the price you are paying
Seeds on Cycad Central are priced per seed: you choose how many you want, the total is calculated for you, both invoices are raised for that quantity and the seeds remaining drop automatically. Compare per-seed prices, not batch totals.
Permits still apply
Seed of protected species may be regulated too. Confirm with your provincial conservation authority what you need before you buy, move or germinate seed, and keep the seller's details and invoice with your records.