The correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller: ¶ It may interest some of your readers to know that I have proved the possibility of moving from distant localities very aged Cycad trunks, deprived of their leaves, and without any earth being left ...

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Physical location:

73.04.00

Plant names

Cycadeae
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Cycas angulata
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Zamia
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Preferred Citation:

Ferdinand von Mueller to the Gardeners' Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette, 1873-04. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id//letters/1870-9/1873/73-04-00-final.odt>, accessed June 4, 2026

Letter not found. The text given here is from Gardeners' chronicle and agricultural gazette, 7 June 1873, p. 776 (B73.06.02). It is dated to April 1873 as the latest likely date that it could have been sent to appear in the issue of 7 June.

It is introduced by:

The following note, received from Baron Ferd. von Mueller, the director of the Melbourne Botanic Garden, as to the possibility of Moving Large Cycads, will be read with great interest. The Baron's success in removing and forwarding huge Tree Ferns is now supplemented by his good fortune with Cycads. In these days when people's palaces augment, and the winter gardens of the wealthy multiply, the introduction of these noble plants becomes more and more important.

It may interest some of your readers to know that I have proved the possibility of moving from distant localities very aged Cycad trunks, deprived of their leaves, and without any earth being left with their roots. Many months ago I succeeded in getting, from North Queensland, a stem of about 40 years old, which was sent as mere dead wood, like ordinary merchandise. The stem was more than a month out of the ground before it arrived here; it was planted in the centre bed of the Palm-house, and is now just pushing forth its foliage. All the are of very slow growth; to obtain a tall stately plant of any species would require many years' cultivation. This tedious process is now rendered unnecessary (as in the case of Fern trees) by shipping from native localities aged stems. For long sea voyages the trunks should be packed in cases, to prevent injury; thus the Indian and Chinese species would be rendered easily available in a fully developed state, although they do not attain the great height of one of the North-East Australian kinds. I have had large specimens of Natal s dormant for four years, and yet after applying bottom- heat they started into growth.

Ferd. von Mueller.