Life Span
Biennial
Annual
Type
Palm or Cycad
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Origin
South Africa
Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Mediterranean, Turkey, Western Asia
Types
Alexandria cycad, Encephalartos caffer, Encephalartos concinnus
Mountain silverbell , Rosea
Number of Varieties
663
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Rocky areas, Scrubs
Floodplains, low mountains, Lower slopes, secondary forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-125-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
9-5
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
21,22
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
290.00 cm25.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
White
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
Several shades of Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Light Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Acuminate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
-
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
-
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Spring, Late Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Layering, Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
occasional watering once established
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
-
Soil Type
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
Prune grass to maintain level, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Pests and diseases free
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought and Salt
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Bees, Flying insects
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
along a porch, deck or patio, Beautification, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes, Wild gardens
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Shadow Tree, Windbreak
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds, Stem
-
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Decoration Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Cutflower, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
ENCEPHALARTOS altensteinii
ORNITHOGALUM nutans
Common Name
Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad
Drooping Star-of-Bethlehem, Nodding Star-of-Bethlehem, Silver Bells
In Hindi
Bread Tree
Silver bells
In German
Brotbaum
Silver bells
In French
Bread Arbre
Silver bells
In Spanish
Árbol del pan
Silver bells
In Greek
ψωμί Δέντρο
Silver bells
In Portuguese
Árvore de pão
Silver bells
In Polish
chleb Drzewo
Silver bells
In Latin
panis ligno
Silver bells
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Angiosperms
Class
Equisetopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cycadales
Ebenales
Family
Cycadaceae
Asparagaceae
Genus
Encephalartos
Halesia
Clade
-
Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
664
1
27800
👆🏻