Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Origin
South Africa
South America, Brazil
Types
Alexandria cycad, Encephalartos caffer, Encephalartos concinnus
-
Number of Varieties
6630
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Rocky areas, Scrubs
Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1211-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
10-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
21,22
Habit
Clump-Forming
Rosette/Stemless
Plant Size
Minimum Height
290.00 cm25.40 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm25.40 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
White, Red, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark 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
Oblong
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Divison, Leaf Cutting, Seedlings, Tubers
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Average Water Needs
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
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Cut or pinch the stems, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
20-20-20 amount, High phosphorus, Water soluble fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Citrus leaf miner
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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Bees, Hummingbirds, pollinators
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Bouquets, Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Shadow Tree, Windbreak
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Anti-oxidant, Antiviral, hepatoprotective
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds, Stem
Flowers
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Groundcover, Houseplant, Tropical
Botanical Name
ENCEPHALARTOS altensteinii
SINNINGIA speciosa
Common Name
Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad
Sinningia, Gloxinia
In Hindi
Bread Tree
Sinningia
In German
Brotbaum
Sinningia
In French
Bread Arbre
Sinningia
In Spanish
Árbol del pan
Sinningia
In Greek
ψωμί Δέντρο
Sinningia
In Portuguese
Árvore de pão
Sinningia
In Polish
chleb Drzewo
Sinningia
In Latin
panis ligno
Sinningia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Equisetopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cycadales
Lamiales
Family
Cycadaceae
Gesnariaceae
Genus
Encephalartos
Sinningia
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Gloxinieae
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
6665
1
27800
👆🏻