Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Tree
Origin
South Africa
Northeastern United States, North-Central United States
Types
Alexandria cycad, Encephalartos caffer, Encephalartos concinnus
Sugar Maple, Norway Maple, Red Maple
Number of Varieties
6615
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Rocky areas, Scrubs
bottomlands, Forests, Moist Soils
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-124-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
8-3
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
290.00 cm3,779.52 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm1,219.20 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Yellow green, Chartreuse
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Green, Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Yellow, Red, Orange
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Toothed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Early Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Average Water Needs, Do Not over 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
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Bees, Birds
Allergy
-
Pollen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Shadow Tree, Windbreak
Air purification, Nesting sites for birds, Shadow Tree, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds, Stem
Sap, Tree trunks
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Edible syrup, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Shade Trees, Street Trees
Botanical Name
ENCEPHALARTOS altensteinii
ACER nigrum
Common Name
Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad
Black Maple
In Hindi
Bread Tree
Black Maple Tree
In German
Brotbaum
Schwarz Ahorn
In French
Bread Arbre
Noir Érable
In Spanish
Árbol del pan
Negro del árbol de arce
In Greek
ψωμί Δέντρο
Μαύρο Maple Tree
In Portuguese
Árvore de pão
Árvore de bordo preto
In Polish
chleb Drzewo
Czarny klon
In Latin
panis ligno
White Acer ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Equisetopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cycadales
Sapindales
Family
Cycadaceae
Aceraceae
Genus
Encephalartos
Acer
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Areceae
Subfamily
-
Hippocastanoideae
Number of Species
6610
1
27800
👆🏻