Life Span
Biennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
Origin
South Africa
Central America, South America
Types
Alexandria cycad, Encephalartos caffer, Encephalartos concinnus
Vine, Flowering plant
Number of Varieties
665
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Rocky areas, Scrubs
All sorts of environments, Along Railroads, Banks, Moist Ditches, Roadsides, rocky banks of streams
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1210-13
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
21,22
Habit
Clump-Forming
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
290.00 cm15.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm15.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Purple, Rose
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Purple, Dark Green, Black
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
Acicular
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Very 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
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall, Late Fall
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Leaf Cutting, Tuber propagation
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Keep the Soil well drained, Needs very little water
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 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
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Aphids, Beetles, Cutworms, Insects, Mites, Whiteflies
Allergy
-
Abdominal pain, allergic reaction, Nausea, Skin rash, Twitching of face
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Shadow Tree, Windbreak
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Cures constipation, Fiber, Low calories, lowering blood pressure, Potassium, ß-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds, Stem
Leaves, Root, Shoots, Stem, Tuber
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Starch, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Edible, Groundcover, Hanging Basket, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Vine
Botanical Name
ENCEPHALARTOS altensteinii
IPOMOEA batatas 'Blackie'
Common Name
Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad
Blackie Sweet Potato Vine, Sweet Potato Vine
In Hindi
Bread Tree
शकरकन्द
In German
Brotbaum
Süßkartoffel
In French
Bread Arbre
Patate douce
In Spanish
Árbol del pan
Ipomoea batatas
In Greek
ψωμί Δέντρο
Sweet potato
In Portuguese
Árvore de pão
Batata-doce
In Polish
chleb Drzewo
Wilec ziemniaczany
In Latin
panis ligno
Ipomoea batatas
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Equisetopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cycadales
Solanales
Family
Cycadaceae
Convolvulaceae
Genus
Encephalartos
Ipomoea
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
66500
1
27800
👆🏻