Bravo!

Outstanding video.
Beautiful close-ups of a mysterious (to me) process.

Barb

The start of this year's cones,

Steve

Collecting more this season,

Cone is ready,

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Pollen sacs visible between the scales,

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Pollen still mostly contained (just shook out of the cone)

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Stored in a paper envelope with a desiccant for a few days in the refrigerator,( to drop moisture levels), then into the freezer for long term storage

Thanks to Tom Broome for the indicating desiccant! 8)

Steve

Has that Zamia ever gotten huge.
You had the right trick by putting it up so high in the GH.
And the sun didn't fry it (I thought they hated direct sun).

I love those pollen pics. very nicely done.

I should have sent you this guy in September:
<img src=" " width="500" height="375" alt="DSC03903" />
Had never seen one in my life!
Probably blew here on a storm.

Barb

Barb,

The Zamia is somewhat shaded, most of the light reaching it is through tinted polycarbonate panels.
(I've plenty of pollen now, need to find a female Z. vasquezii 🙂

Any idea what that bug is?

Steve

Steve,
Tinted panels were a good idea since you knew you could only go UP in your GH 😆

The bug is definitely a weevil, from the distinctive "snout" that only weevils possess.

I've lived here for 33 years and have never seen one until now.

My research showed this "coloring" confirms it to be a Spruce Weevil, which is bad news for the balance of our forest industry in this area.
By bad news I mean that the Mountain Pine Beetle has virtually decimated marketable pine stands, leaving Fir and Spruce trees mostly untouched.
And now this guy comes along, presumably with an appetite for Spruce.

So I did my civic duty and sent him to bug heaven 😉

Barb

PS--meant to tell you my Z.vasquezii isn't a likely candidate, even if it's a female.
Hasn't grown in ~2 years, looks sick and pale, so if your male is looking for a female, my specimen will be the ugly wallflower at the dance. 😳