Common name:
Chestnut dioon, Palma de la virgen
Origin: Mexico (San Louis Potosi), Sierra Madre Oriental from Veracruz to the Nuevo Leon. It commonly resides in tropical deciduous thorn forests and oak woodlands
Foliage: pinnate grayish leaves which measures around 135 cm (4 ft). The leaflets are wider and longer on the ‘Rio Verde’ than on the regular edule. It lacks spines on the borders of leaflets
Exposure: partial shade to full sun
Growth rate: very, very slow
Height: 2 à 3 meter / 6 – 9 feet
Hardiness: -9°C / 15,8°F
Culture: Fresh seeds germinate very well, some even after a few days! Important here is enough heat / humidity. The difficulty is the prevention of molding. As the seeds have to be laid on the ground, the germination process can be well followed, which makes it even more interesting. For a detailed sowing instructions for the Dioon, please see Cycas and Dioon sowing instructions. The Dioon is an extremely slow grower. The flushing (production of a new crown), however, is a wonderful spectacle to follow. It can be kept in the full sun or partial shade. The hardiness is largely determined by the humidity. The drier you will keep it, the more cold he can tolerate. Planted in the garden it will need a very good protection to prevent him from freezing even if it is hardier than the Cycas. As a container plant you can take it insides during winter. Dioons are dioecious. Therefore, a male and female subject is required to obtain fertilized seeds.
Use: Little is known about this variety but some say it may become a species of its own: “Dioon rio verde”.
Germination, step by step
Sown on 24-02-2009
07-03-2009
20-03-2009
08-06-2009
16-06-2009
21-06-2009
25-06-2009
09-07-2009
26-07-2009
