Life Span
Biennial
Perennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Grass
Origin
South Africa
Africa, Middle Africa, Southern Africa, Madagascar
Types
Alexandria cycad, Encephalartos caffer, Encephalartos concinnus
-
Number of Varieties
66-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Rocky areas, Scrubs
Grassland, Sandy areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-128-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12 - 8
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Cushion/Mound-forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
290.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
240.00 cm30.50 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
Burgundy, Pink, Rose
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Light Pink, Tan, White
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Blue Green, Gray Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Purple, Gray Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Cuttings, Rooted stem cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Needs less watering
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
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, Apply N-P-K
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Shade areas
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
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
-
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Bog Garden, Ground Cover
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Shadow Tree, Windbreak
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Leaves, Seeds, Stem
-
Other Uses
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
-
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Bedding Plant, Cutflower, Edging, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
ENCEPHALARTOS altensteinii
MELINIS nerviglumis
Common Name
Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad
Ruby Grass, Zizka
In Hindi
Bread Tree
Zizka
In German
Brotbaum
Zizka
In French
Bread Arbre
Zizka
In Spanish
Árbol del pan
Zizka
In Greek
ψωμί Δέντρο
Zizka
In Portuguese
Árvore de pão
Zizka
In Polish
chleb Drzewo
Zizka
In Latin
panis ligno
Žižka
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Equisetopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Cycadales
Poales
Family
Cycadaceae
Poaceae
Genus
Encephalartos
Melinis
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
Paniceae
Subfamily
-
Panicoideae
Number of Species
6622
1
27800
👆🏻