Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Tree
Origin
South Africa
North America, United States, Southwestern United States, California, Mexico
Types
Alexandria cycad, Encephalartos caffer, Encephalartos concinnus
Lebombo ironwood, Giant ironwood
Number of Varieties
665
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Rocky areas, Scrubs
Desert, Dry areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-128-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12-9
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
Habit
Clump-Forming
Spreading
Plant Size
Minimum Height
290.00 cm610.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm610.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
White, Light Pink, Lavender
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Chocolate, Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Gray Green, Gray
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Gray Green, Gray
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Small oblong
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
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
Late Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water
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
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
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Showy
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
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Shadow Tree, Windbreak
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds, Stem
Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Carvings, Knife handles
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Rock Garden / Wall, Screening / Wind Break, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
ENCEPHALARTOS altensteinii
OLNEYA tesota
Common Name
Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad
Ironwood
In Hindi
Bread Tree
रेगिस्तान आइरनवुड
In German
Brotbaum
Wüsteneisenholz
In French
Bread Arbre
désert Ironwood
In Spanish
Árbol del pan
Ironwood desierto
In Greek
ψωμί Δέντρο
Ironwood έρημο
In Portuguese
Árvore de pão
deserto Ironwood
In Polish
chleb Drzewo
pustynia Ironwood
In Latin
panis ligno
desert ironwood
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Equisetopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cycadales
Fabales
Family
Cycadaceae
Fabaceae
Genus
Encephalartos
Olneya
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Robinieae
Subfamily
-
Faboideae
Number of Species
6630
1
27800
👆🏻