Nick I also have this species. They can off set from a rhizome or send out little skinny babies as well, I have it going both ways, a true
S. cylindrica only has three leaves per growth, and they come up very fast. It takes them a long time to decide to do so. It it breaks the container, you will need to divide the plant or give it a larger container. There is one called 'Skyline' which I don't beleive it a true cylindrica it can have up to fourteen leaves, and will need at least a 5 gal. or more container, the flowers are not any thing special. Norma

I have one of those cylindricas. I planted it in the ground in a shady area and it still appears healthy but hasn't grown at all. I also have some regular sans nearby and they have been a disappointment as well. By contrast, group of sans I placed in a sunnier spot is growing like crazy.

I had always thought that sans liked shade but apparently they also need some direct sun part of the day, at least if they're going to grow.

Question for dufflebag: Do you mean a true cylindrica will only make three leaves and then concentrate on rhyzome generated offshoots? I have seen pictures of huge plants with many leaves arranged in a spectacular fan. The large one I have has 7 leaves. The leaf in the center is only half as long as the rest, I guess that's when it got divided, I bought it without roots and a slashed bottom. It is now firmly rooted and is making the first keiki. I was hoping the main plant would resume growth and get real big. I wonder if by removing the keiki the plant would be stimulated to go that way? Probably not.

Nick

In my experience they like to be crowded. It depends what you want in a plant, I can't aford the space. When crowded they will offset sooner. I would also double pot.
Do this only when the weather is warm, like right now. Nick I don't know where you live or the weather conditions. Your large one may be what they call 'Skyline' I've seen them with 14 leaves, it needs a 5 gal. container. I grow mine hard, if I don't they rot. So always be careful with watering even in the summer, keep water away from the bottom of the leaves. Great you are in a warm zone. Be careful because we may have an early winter. Some San. need sun others will not tolerate it. A good way to tell is if they have a soft green apex it will need more shade their leaves may also be thin and not thick, and if it has a dried white or tan tip more sun. Not complete shade unless you know which one, like S. Masoniana will appreciate it. I don't grow my plants lush, I want them to look like African plants, it's a matter of choice. I just naturally know what to do, I read my plants, it is instinct with me. 'Skyline' can sun burn, if put suddenly in the sun for the first time, but it will take some sun, and it will help it to flower. I don't know it all, even though I have grown this species for the past 30 years. Norma

That's great info, Norma. I found a fantastic and large cylindrica at (of all places...) Lowes a couple of years ago. I couldn't believe it was only $7.50!! I must have been the first person who knew anything about them to see it, because I looked at it and thought, "I could probably get 5 times that on eBay if I already had one and wanted to sell it!" Anyway, it had more than 3 leaves on it when I bought it, so it must be 'Skyline' - I'll add that to my label. Anyway, I keep it in my sunroom up on a chest in front of a south window. I have big Hoyas hanging above it and recently, I took one of them down and saw that the cylindrica had gotten a new shoot that's 39" long! I was stunned that I hadn't noticed it sooner! And now there's another new leaf forming, which makes a total of 7. But here's a question for you - the 39" leaf is thinner than the others. Will it thicken more as it ages, or is the emergence of the new leaf an indicator that it's as thick as it will get?

Denise in Omaha

Interesting, but frustrating. On searching the web there is information available on both San cylindrica and San cylindrica 'Skyline' but there seems very little if any distinction beween the two. Many pictures of San cylindrica show more than 3 leaves and nowhere does it state that the 'true' cylindrica is limited to three leaves. Can that information be confirmed? Most of the plants on EBay and featured in the various articles are then 'Skyline' as they seem to be blessed with more than 3 leaves.

How tall does a true cylindrica get? They talk of 5' long leaves, again that must be 'skyline'. My 3 leaved plant has 18" leaves, the other one is longer.

Nick

I need to correct the previous post. The 3 leaved plant has 34"leaves, at the most 1" thick. The other plant has 8 leaves, the longest 31" long, most are 2" thick.

That plant looks more impressive and looks like all the pictures you see on the web. The other one, if left to its own devices, will produce a tangle of thinner leaves. At present there are 5 keikis, if each develops 3 leaves and it looks like they are headed that way, we will have a total of 18 thin long leaves arranged at random as the 6 fans are not facing the same way. I'm glad I posted this as its obvious now that I'm looking at 2 different plants.

When I got the 'Skyline', one leaf fell off, I cut it into 4" pieces and planted them, they are now rooted but show no sign of growth yet.

Nick