Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Ornamental Grasses and Bamboo
Origin
South Africa
Southern Europe, Western Europe, Mediterranean
Types
Alexandria cycad, Encephalartos caffer, Encephalartos concinnus
-
Number of Varieties
6610
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Rocky areas, Scrubs
Desert, Dry areas, Dry Forest, Rocky areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-124-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
9 - 1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
290.00 cm45.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm60.96 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Blue Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Blue Green, Silver, Gray
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Blue Green, Silver, Gray
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Blue Green, Tan, Silver, Gray
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Late Spring, Early Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Rooted stem cutting, Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Average Water Needs, occasional watering once established, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
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
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, Pinch Tips, 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
Salt
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
Asthma, Itchiness, Rash, Rhinitis
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Shadow Tree, Windbreak
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds, Stem
Stem
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Edging, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
ENCEPHALARTOS altensteinii
HELICTOTRICHON sempervirens
Common Name
Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad
Blue Oat Grass
In Hindi
Bread Tree
ब्लू जई घास
In German
Brotbaum
Blau Ährengras
In French
Bread Arbre
Bleu Oat Grass
In Spanish
Árbol del pan
Azul hierba de avena
In Greek
ψωμί Δέντρο
Μπλε βρώμης Grass
In Portuguese
Árvore de pão
Azul Aveia
In Polish
chleb Drzewo
Niebieski Owies trawa
In Latin
panis ligno
Blue Oat Grass
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Equisetopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cycadales
Poales
Family
Cycadaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Encephalartos
Helictotrichon
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Aveneae
Subfamily
-
Pooideae
Number of Species
6670
1
27800
👆🏻