Life Span
Biennial
Biennial or Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Vegetable
Origin
South Africa
Europe
Types
Alexandria cycad, Encephalartos caffer, Encephalartos concinnus
Leaf beet, Seakettle beet, Spinach beet
Number of Varieties
666
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Rocky areas, Scrubs
Cultivated Beds
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-124-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
A1, A2, A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
290.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Red, Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green, Green, Orange, Red, White, Yellow
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
White, Yellow, Red, Green, Orange, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
White, Yellow, Red, Green, Orange, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
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
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
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full 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
Apply 10-10-10 amount
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Cercospora leaf spot, Damping off, Darkling beetles, Downy mildew
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
Insignificant
Flower Petal Number
-
-
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Insects
Allergy
-
dark circles, Diarrhea, Runny nose, Vomiting, wheezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
Moisturizing, Remove blemishes, Slow downs aging, Speed hair growth
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Shadow Tree, Windbreak
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antitumor, Carminative, Haemostatic, Stomachic, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds, Stem
Leaves, Root
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Cultivated for fodder, Eaten as a pot herb, Used to make juice
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Bedding Plant, Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Botanical Name
ENCEPHALARTOS altensteinii
BETA vulgaris ssp. cicla
Common Name
Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad
Swiss Chard
In Hindi
Bread Tree
Swiss Chard
In German
Brotbaum
Swiss Chard
In French
Bread Arbre
Chard suisse
In Spanish
Árbol del pan
Acelgas
In Greek
ψωμί Δέντρο
Σέσκουλο
In Portuguese
Árvore de pão
Acelga suíça
In Polish
chleb Drzewo
Boćwina
In Latin
panis ligno
Swiss Chard
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Equisetopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cycadales
Caryophyllales
Family
Cycadaceae
Chenopodiaceae
Genus
Encephalartos
Beta
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Cyclolobeae
Subfamily
-
Betoideae
Number of Species
663
1
27800
👆🏻