Life Span
Biennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Tender Perennial
Origin
South Africa
Brazil
Types
Alexandria cycad, Encephalartos caffer, Encephalartos concinnus
Yellow Bloodleaf, Herbst's Bloodleaf, Standley's Bloodleaf
Number of Varieties
6670
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Rocky areas, Scrubs
tropical environments
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1211-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
290.00 cm15.24 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm20.32 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Red, Green, Purple
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Red, Green, Purple
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Red, Green, Purple
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Oval
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
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Softwood cuttings, Stem Cutting, Tip cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Medium
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
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
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
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove branches that rub together, Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Balanced liquid fertilizer every 4 weeks
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
-
Flower Petal Number
-
-
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
Insects, Wildlife
Allergy
-
Pollen
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Shadow Tree, Windbreak
Air purification, Indoor Air Purification, Provides ground cover
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds, Stem
Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Bedding Plant, Container, Feature Plant, Houseplant, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
ENCEPHALARTOS altensteinii
IRESINE herbstii
Common Name
Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad
Bloodleaf, Herbst's bloodleaf
In Hindi
Bread Tree
Bloodleaf Plant
In German
Brotbaum
Bloodleaf Pflanze
In French
Bread Arbre
Feuillesang Plante
In Spanish
Árbol del pan
Planta Sangrienta
In Greek
ψωμί Δέντρο
Bloodleaf φυτών
In Portuguese
Árvore de pão
Bloodleaf Planta
In Polish
chleb Drzewo
Bloodleaf roślin
In Latin
panis ligno
Planta Bloodleaf
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Equisetopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cycadales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cycadaceae
Amaranthaceae
Genus
Encephalartos
Iresine
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Gomphreneae
Subfamily
-
Gomphrenoideae
Number of Species
6670
1
27800
👆🏻