How to Grow and Care for Dioon

Virgin's palm is a so-called cycad, a group of the oldest known seed plants on the Earth that dates from before the Triassic-Jurassic mass extinction. Although Dioon edule looks like a palm and carries the name virgin's palm, it's not a palm at all. This species is endemic to Mexico.

Gum palm is a Mexican native plant found on rocky slopes and limestone outcrops. Growing to 12 m in the wild, this is one of the world’s tallest cycads. This is a very long-lived plant with healthy specimens surviving for hundreds of years. Its rounded crown of elaborate leaves gives it exceptional ornamental appeal. Despite being a tropical native, it can survive mild frost.