Life Span
Biennial
Annual
Type
Palm or Cycad
Tender Perennial
Origin
South Africa
Southeastern Asia
Types
Alexandria cycad, Encephalartos caffer, Encephalartos concinnus
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Number of Varieties
66200
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Rocky areas, Scrubs
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1210-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12-8
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
290.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
White, Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
Red
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Dark Green, Ivory
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Dark Green, Ivory
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
V-Shaped
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
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container
How to Plant?
Seedlings
From Rhizomes
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Needs 2-3 times watering per week, Needs a lot of water initially
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
Well drained
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
-
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
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
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
Allergy
-
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Shadow Tree, Windbreak
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds, Stem
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
ENCEPHALARTOS altensteinii
ALOCASIA micholitziana
Common Name
Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad
Elephant Ear, Taro
In Hindi
Bread Tree
अरवी
In German
Brotbaum
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
In French
Bread Arbre
Colocasia
In Spanish
Árbol del pan
Colocasia
In Greek
ψωμί Δέντρο
Colocasia
In Portuguese
Árvore de pão
Colocasia
In Polish
chleb Drzewo
Kolokazja
In Latin
panis ligno
Colocasia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Equisetopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cycadales
Arales
Family
Cycadaceae
Araceae
Genus
Encephalartos
Alocasia
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
Colocasiodeae
Subfamily
-
Aroideae
Number of Species
6610
1
27800
👆🏻