Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fruit, Shrub
Palm or Cycad
Origin
South America
South Africa
Types
V. × heilbornii
Encephalartos lebomboensis
Number of Varieties
010
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
Upland savannas
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-119-13
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11-9
12-8
Sunset Zone
H1, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
150.00 cm300.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow green
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Green, Light Yellow, Yellow green
Yellow, Orange, Orange Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Long linear and narrow
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Very Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Light Frost
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Vegetative Reproduction
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Needs less watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove shoots
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Cycad weevils, Root Pathogen
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Light Frost
Flowers
Insignificant
-
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
pollinators
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Digestive disorders
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Bark, Pine
Other Uses
Used in making champagne
Traditional medicine
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
VASCONCELLEA x heilbornii
Encephalartos lebomboensis
Common Name
Babaco, Mountain Papaya
Lebombo Cycad
In Hindi
Babaco
Lebombo Cycad
In German
Babaco
Lebombo Palmfarn
In French
Babaco
Lebombo Cycad
In Spanish
Babaco
Lebombo cícadas
In Greek
Babaco
Lebombo Cycad
In Portuguese
Babaco
Lebombo Cycad
In Polish
Babaco
Lebombo Cycad
In Latin
Babaco
Lebombo Cycad
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Cycadophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Cycadopsida
Order
Brassicales
Cycadales
Family
Caricaceae
Cycadaceae
Genus
Vasconcellea
Encephalartos
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
166
1
27800
👆🏻