Is something old new again?

There are still a few sago palms around Charlotte County landscapes. The sago was once a low-maintenance plant. They used to be more common before the insect plague known as the Asian Cycad scale came to town. This insect pest covered sago palms with white scales and wiped out most of this standard landscape planting material. A few remedies were developed, but many people just gave up planting them.  The Asian cycad scale is still around to lesser degree as its food source was all but depleted. The few surviving sago palms were either isolated or their owners kept up on the effort to keep them pest-free. Sago palms are still for sale in the garden centers where they are clean and ready to go. Should you venture in to plant a sago in your yard? Is it safe to back to the sago palm?

The sago palm is not a palm at all, but more closely related to conifers with leaves that look just like palm fronds. Originally from southern Japan, they do well in our climate in full sun or partial shade. A bit slow-growing, sago palms can get up to fifteen feet tall in a half-century or so. The dark-green, leathery leaves are up to five-feet long and radiate around the top of the brown trunk. Each leaflet has a sharp tip, so watch out where you place these plants. New fronds unfurl each spring and refresh the sago with a light green color.  Individual plants are either male or female. The male develops an eighteen-inch tall yellow cone, while the female reproductive part is round and nest-like, eventually becoming filled with two-inch wide orange seeds.  It is important to note that all sago parts including the seeds, are highly toxic. 

Sago palms are easy to grow and very hardy taking temperatures down into the twenties. Plant as a single specimen or in groups planted at least four to six feet apart. Mix sago palms with ornamental grasses or other groundcovers for a nice effect. Sago palms will often suffer from a manganese deficiency called “frizzle top” just like real palms. We recommend feeding sago palms a granular 8-2-12-4 in November, February and May, and a 0-0-16-6 in August which will provide the nutrients needed to prevent all deficiencies. 

Keep an eye out for the Asian cycad scale. If sago palms come from the nursery pest-free and are generally isolated from other specimens, you should be in good shape. However, young scale insects called crawlers, are minute and can be accidently introduced. The use of horticultural oil, as per label directions and not in the heat of the day as the leaves can be burned, can help suppress an infestation. The Asian cycad scale is noted for infesting roots which may hide this insect pest and allow for re-infestation. 

The sago palm is a beautiful and unique plant that has taken a beating in the past. Is it time to revisit this plant and make it a part of your landscape? Perhaps, but keep a cautious eye out while you nurture this palm-like plant in your yard. For more information on all types of plants suitable for your yard, please call our Master Gardener volunteers on the Plant Lifeline on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1 to 4 pm at 764-4340 for gardening help and insight into their role as an Extension volunteer. Don't forget to visit our other County Plant Clinics in the area.  Please check this link for a complete list of site locations, dates and times - http://charlotte.ifas.ufl.edu/horticulture/Plant%20Clinics%20Schedule.pdf.

Resources:

Weissling, T. J., Howard, F. W. & Hamon, A. B. (2013) Cycad Aulacaspis Scale, Aulacaspis yasumatsui Takagi.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS. 

King Sago Palm, Cycas revoluta. (2007) The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS – Baker County.

Williams, L. (2005) Growing Sago Palms.  The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS. 

Northrop, R. J., Andreu, M. G., Friedman, M. H., McKenzie, M. & Quintana, H. V. (2016) Cycas revoluta, Sago Palm. The University of Florida Extension Service, IFAS. 

Christman, S. (2009) Cycas revoluta. Floridata.com, Tallahassee, FL.