Life Span
Biennial
Annual
Type
Palm or Cycad
Flowering Plants
Origin
South Africa
America, Europe
Types
Alexandria cycad, Encephalartos caffer, Encephalartos concinnus
Clump verbena, Moss verbena, Annual Verbena, Brazilian verbena, Sandpaper Verbana
Number of Varieties
6650
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Rocky areas, Scrubs
Forest edges, Hillside, Woods
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-123-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
-
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
290.00 cm6.56 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm10.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Blue, Dark Purple, Light Purple, Red, White
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Dark Green, Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Dark Green, Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Oblovate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Early Spring, Late Autumn
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Well drained
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral, Slightly Acidic
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer
Early Fall, Early Summer, Fall, Late Spring, Late Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Do not water frequently, Medium, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
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, Slightly Acidic
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Well drained
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Prune for shortening long shoots, Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Prune lower leaves, Prune regularly, Prune to control growth
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
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
-
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Butterflies
Allergy
-
Arthritis, Asthma, Chest Pain, Itchiness, Whooping Cough
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Shadow Tree, Windbreak
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Arthritis, Gallbladder Diseases, Itching, Jaundice, Joint pain, Kidney problems, Liver problems, Metabolic disorders, Sore throat, Upset stomach, Urinary tract problems
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds, Stem
Flowers, Root
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Air freshner, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics, Decoration Purposes, Economic Purpose, Employed in herbal medicine, Oil is used for aromatherapy, Oil is used in perfume, soaps, creams, etc., Showy Purposes, Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for flavoring in Liquors, dairy products, gelatins,puddings, meats, candies, etc., Used for fragrance
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Bedding Plant, Bonsai, Container, Edible, Herb
Botanical Name
ENCEPHALARTOS altensteinii
Purpletop Vervain
Common Name
Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad
Verbena
In Hindi
Bread Tree
verbena
In German
Brotbaum
Eisenkraut
In French
Bread Arbre
verveine
In Spanish
Árbol del pan
Verbena
In Greek
ψωμί Δέντρο
λουίζα
In Portuguese
Árvore de pão
verbena
In Polish
chleb Drzewo
werbena
In Latin
panis ligno
Grindelia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Equisetopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cycadales
Lamiales
Family
Cycadaceae
Verbenaceae
Genus
Encephalartos
Verbena
Clade
-
-
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
-
Number of Species
66250
1
27800
👆🏻