Life Span
Biennial
Annual
Type
Palm or Cycad
Grass
Origin
South Africa
North America, Northeastern United States, North-Central United States, Central United States, South-Central United States, Canada
Types
Alexandria cycad, Encephalartos caffer, Encephalartos concinnus
Sporobolus heterolepis
Number of Varieties
6615
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Rocky areas, Scrubs
Hay fields
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-123-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
10 - 2
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
290.00 cm45.70 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm50.80 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Red, Green, Purple, Light Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Yellow, Orange, Gold
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Tan, Bronze
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Slow
Slow
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
Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Pollution, Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
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, 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, 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 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, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Ground Cover, 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
Leaves, Seeds
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Edging, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Botanical Name
ENCEPHALARTOS altensteinii
SPOROBOLUS heterolepis
Common Name
Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad
Prairie Dropseed
In Hindi
Bread Tree
prairie dropseed
In German
Brotbaum
Prärie Dropseed
In French
Bread Arbre
prairie dropseed
In Spanish
Árbol del pan
dropseed pradera
In Greek
ψωμί Δέντρο
λιβάδι dropseed
In Portuguese
Árvore de pão
pradaria dropseed
In Polish
chleb Drzewo
łąka dropseed
In Latin
panis ligno
PRATUM grama
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Equisetopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cycadales
Poales
Family
Cycadaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Encephalartos
Sporobolus
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
6610
1
27800
👆🏻