Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Origin
South Africa
Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, Turkey
Types
Alexandria cycad, Encephalartos caffer, Encephalartos concinnus
-
Number of Varieties
663
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Rocky areas, Scrubs
Cultivated Beds, meadows
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-125-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
8-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
21,22
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
290.00 cm10.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm12.70 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
White, Light Green, Silver
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
Oblong-lanceolate
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Early Spring, Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
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, 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
-
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Water soluble fertilizers
Pests and Diseases
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
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Insects
Allergy
-
Dermatitis, Poisonous to grazing animals
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
-
Certain forms of cancer, Homeopathy
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds, Stem
Root
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Food
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Alpine, Container, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall
Botanical Name
ENCEPHALARTOS altensteinii
ORNITHOGALUM balansae
Common Name
Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad
Star-of-Bethlehem
In Hindi
Bread Tree
Star-of-Bethlehem
In German
Brotbaum
Stern -of- Bethlehem
In French
Bread Arbre
Star- de - Bethléem
In Spanish
Árbol del pan
Estrella de Belen
In Greek
ψωμί Δέντρο
Star- of- Βηθλεέμ
In Portuguese
Árvore de pão
Star of -Bethlehem
In Polish
chleb Drzewo
Star- of- Betlejem
In Latin
panis ligno
Star of Bethlehem ,
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Equisetopsida
Lilopsida
Order
Cycadales
Liliales
Family
Cycadaceae
Asparagaceae
Genus
Encephalartos
Ornithogalum
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
Ornithogaleae
Subfamily
-
Ornithogaloideae
Number of Species
66180
1
27800
👆🏻