Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Tree
Origin
South Africa
Mediterranean
Types
Alexandria cycad, Encephalartos caffer, Encephalartos concinnus
California bay leaf, Indian bay leaf or malabathrum, Indonesian bay leaf
Number of Varieties
661
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Rocky areas, Scrubs
Forest edges, Hillside
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-128-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Pyramidal
Plant Size
Minimum Height
290.00 cm150.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm150.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Yellow green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Prune in summer, Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove damaged leaves, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
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
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Birds
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Shadow Tree, Windbreak
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
anti-allergy, Arthritis, Bronchitis, Headache, Muscle Pain, Pain killer
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds, Stem
Fruits, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Cosmetics, Oil is used for aromatherapy, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Hedges, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier
Botanical Name
ENCEPHALARTOS altensteinii
LAURUS nobilis
Common Name
Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad
Bay Laurel, Sweet Bay
In Hindi
Bread Tree
bay laurel
In German
Brotbaum
Lorbeer
In French
Bread Arbre
laurier
In Spanish
Árbol del pan
laurel
In Greek
ψωμί Δέντρο
δάφνη
In Portuguese
Árvore de pão
louro
In Polish
chleb Drzewo
wawrzynu
In Latin
panis ligno
sinus laurus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
-
Class
Equisetopsida
-
Order
Cycadales
Laurales
Family
Cycadaceae
Lauraceae
Genus
Encephalartos
Laurus
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Magnoliids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
663
1
27800
👆🏻