Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Perennial
Origin
South Africa
World, Pandemic, North America, Europe, Africa, Asia
Types
Alexandria cycad, Encephalartos caffer, Encephalartos concinnus
Alizes
Bumblebee Deelite
Maui Moonlight
Langport Wren
Sarah Taylor
Titan's Glory
Thornbird
Jane Phillips
Orinoco Flow
Number of Varieties
6610
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Rocky areas, Scrubs
gardens, Hillside, Riverbanks, Warmer regions, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-12-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
-
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
290.00 cm70.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm10.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
White, Yellow, Blue, Purple, Orange, Pink, Rose, Coral, Peach, Burgundy, Lavender, Plum, Orange Red, Dark Salmon, Bronze, Chocolate, Black
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Long Linear
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
-
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Clay, 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
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
From Rhizomes, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Does not require lot of watering, Keep ground moist, Water when soil is dry
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
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
Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Requires very little pruning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Bacterial Diseases, Fungal Diseases, Viruses
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Bees, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, 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
Flowers, Leaves, Rhizomes, Root
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Making Perfumes, Oil is used for aromatherapy, Used as a sedative, Used as essential oil
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Bedding Plant, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
ENCEPHALARTOS altensteinii
IRIS
Common Name
Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad
Iris
In Hindi
Bread Tree
Iris
In German
Brotbaum
Iris
In French
Bread Arbre
Iris
In Spanish
Árbol del pan
Iris
In Greek
ψωμί Δέντρο
Ίρις
In Portuguese
Árvore de pão
Íris
In Polish
chleb Drzewo
Irys
In Latin
panis ligno
Iris
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Equisetopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cycadales
Asparagales
Family
Cycadaceae
Iridaceae
Genus
Encephalartos
Iris
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
Irideae
Subfamily
-
Iridoideae
Number of Species
66300
1
27800
👆🏻