Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Palm or Cycad
Origin
South Africa
Caribbean
Types
Alexandria cycad, Encephalartos caffer, Encephalartos concinnus
Wild sago
Number of Varieties
663
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Rocky areas, Scrubs
Loamy soils, Sandy areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-128-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12-8
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
290.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm150.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Red
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
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Lance shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Slow
Slow
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
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Requires watering in the growing season, Water occasionally
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 leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
fertilize in growing season, Nitrogen, Requires high amount of nitrogen
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Mealybugs
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Shadow Tree, Windbreak
Air purification, Food for insects, Nesting sites for birds, Prevent Soil Erosion
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds, Stem
Whole plant
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
ENCEPHALARTOS altensteinii
ZAMIA pumila
Common Name
Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad
Coontie
In Hindi
Bread Tree
Coontie
In German
Brotbaum
Coontie
In French
Bread Arbre
coontie
In Spanish
Árbol del pan
coontie
In Greek
ψωμί Δέντρο
Coontie
In Portuguese
Árvore de pão
Coontie
In Polish
chleb Drzewo
Coontie
In Latin
panis ligno
Coontie
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Cycadophyta
Class
Equisetopsida
Cycadopsida
Order
Cycadales
Cycadales
Family
Cycadaceae
Zamiaceae
Genus
Encephalartos
Zamia
Clade
-
-
Tribe
-
Zamieae
Subfamily
-
Zamioideae
Number of Species
6627
1
27800
👆🏻