Sago Palms?
 

I want a sago palm but have had several people and 2 landscapers steer me away saying there is a scale problem with them. They are pretty cold resistant and I see The Villages plants them. I think the scale can be controled/eliminated by bayer systemic insecteside. Anyone having any problems with them?

Tree Frogger
 

I would probably ask an aborist or an ISA Certified arborist which I know of only one in the villages. His company is Tree Frogger. My understanding is that in some of these nurseries around here the palms may have "issues" onsite and you won't know about it till a year later. At least try to educate yourself as what this scale looks like. I don't have a sago but I haven't heard anything negative about one either. Good luck...

I think I recall that on a trip behind the scenes to Epcot the horticulturist said they had problems with sagos too.

I had a Queen Sago for years. Yes, scale is a problem, but I used diluted Malathion and it kept it down.

3 years ago we expected to lose ours. Since then my husband has lovingly washed ours with soap and water and used some sort of oil. That plus the freezes and ours now looks very healthy and has grown huge. Our gardener still says most of the sagos in FL are in trouble. We'll enjoy ours for as long as we can.

It is my impression that TV planted them in the past, but no longer. You do not see sagos in any of the recently developed areas.

We had 2 beautiful sago palms back home in Destin. They are hardy and grow relatively fast. The white scales however are an issue to deal with. I sprayed (oil) quarterly and that took care of them. FWIW...I would not have a problem planting a couple here.

SAGO = Word of CAUTION
 

PLEASE be aware there are TWO types of plants commonly
referred to a " SAGO PALMS "

ONE is lovely and is NON- Toxic to Animals and Humans.
.......This is the "METROXYLON" and IS a PALM.

......HOWEVER....

The OTHER is a LOOK-ALIKE . It is Really a "Cycas Revoluta".
This IMPOSTER is acrually A "CYCAD"...and NOT really a Palm.
It is Commonly referred to as a KING SAGO. (at Home Depot, Lowes etc.)

THIS "KING SAGO" IS TOXIC TO ANIMALS AND HUMANS.

Be VERY Careful as to which one You are getting.

Oh, oh, Mr. Fixit. We were at HD and Lowes today and saw them. I think they must have been "Cycad." They looked so beautiful but we didn't buy one.

I've had 2 sagos, one didn't make it. We put the other in a pot and it seems to be doing fine now. Spray it with the oil spray sold at home depot, and a landscaper said used coffee grounds help too (I can't really speak for the effectiveness of that). The potted one has been doing fine for 4 years now.

Sagos do seem a bit tempermental though.

I really wouldn't worry too much about the toxicity of a common sago (cycas revoluta). Thousands are grown & sold annually by nurseries, which I doubt would continue if they posed any serious danger to humans or pets. But if you really don't want anything toxic growing in your landscape then many other common, popular plants would also have to go....such as tulips, daffodils, azaleas, iris, oleander, wisteria.....even oak trees.

here's a more complete list: http://www.caes.uga.edu/publications...cfm?pk_ID=7851

also, in regard to the scale problem on sagos: it can be easily controlled by semi-annual spraying of dormant oil. safe & easy.

Yes, there are many common house and garden plants that are toxic to pets. In some plants, only parts of them are toxic (such as bulbs or seeds), and there are different degrees of toxicity. With the Sago Palm, any and all of it is extremely toxic and results in a very high fatality rate, even when the pets are given immediate medical attention.

To give you an idea of how dangerous this plant is to animals, here is an excerpt from this site: Dr. Nelson's Veterinary Blog: Sago Palms Are Poisonous To Animals

"Sago palms, also called cycad palms are very poisonous. The seeds, fruit and base are loaded with cycasin, a toxin that causes liver failure. Ingestion of just one seed may cause death in a dog. Vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, depression and neurologic signs develop within a few hours of ingestion. Abnormalities in the blood work lag behind clinical signs by about 24 hours making it hard to diagnose. Death occurs within hours to days depending upon the amount of poison ingested.

In a study of 60 dogs with sago palm toxicosis, 95% of them developed liver failure and gastrointestinal problems. Neurologic signs including posterior paresis, depression, problems with coordination called ataxia and seizures occurred in 50% of the animals studied. Unfortunately, once clinical signs occur, one third of dogs will die."