The History of Macrozamia moorei (Zamia Palm)

Cycads are woody plants which produce seeds. Macrozamia moorei is one of the 185 species of palms, which consist of 11 genera. The name Moorei was given in reference to Charles H. Moore, the first superintendent of the Sydney Botanic Gardens, in 1881. Its scientific name is often shortened and the palm is referred to as a Zamia Palm by graziers.

The most commonly known cycad palms in Queensland are Bowenias, Cycas, Lepdozamia, and Macrozamia. Smaller size species of Macrozamia are often referred to as Parazamia.

The Zamia palm is endemic to Australia where it occurs in Queensland across the Carnarvon Range and throughout the Emerald, Springsure and Rolleston districts.

Under Queensland legislation the palm is listed as being a common species, with a restricted status. Removal for sale to wholesale for local or export trade requires both a Commercial and Wildlife Harvesting Licence, of which we hold. A CITES certificate is also supplied with all of our export documentation.

The Zamia palm prefers the sandstone gorge environment, which gives protection and patchy light and shade and will grow on escarpments, valley floors or out in the open timbered woodland with no protection. The palm prefer soils of light sandstone base which give good drainage and enjoy growing amongst dry sclerophyll forest species and woodlands dotted with Eucalypt and Acacia Species. Zamias grow in a summer rainfall zone, with average rainfall of 500mm to 800mm and can tolerate hot summer temperatures rising to mid to high 40s(ºC), and cool winters to frosts of -6ºC.

Macrozamia have a similar appearance to ferns or palms but they actually belong to a primitive group of plants called cycads. The stout caudex (trunk) can be up to 80cm in diameter. A moderately tall palm can grow to 8m, but a common height is 2-3m with some specimens up to 5m of trunk and with a spread of 5m crown of fronds. The palms can be distinguished as male or female when they are coning, quite often the male plant still has old cones attached.

Native animals relish eating the seeds of the Zamia palm. Native marsupials eat the ripe flesh or the whole female seed and disperse the seeds through their droppings enabling the spread of the seed away from the main plant where overcrowding could take place. Wild pigs eat the flesh and leave the hard seed and these are left behind to sprout or be spread by other means. Its common to find many from last season with an emerging green shoot and single leaf showing.

Our Zamias are shipped around the world with all of the roots very closely shaved off and free of soil and with the fronds trimmed back like a pineapple top. We usually ship in open top 40 foot containers to allow easy loading and unloading and for the trees to have better air circulation during their voyage around the world. The fronds and roots will soon start to regrow once they have been installed in their new home.

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