Life Span
Perennial
Biennial
Type
Palm or Cycad
Palm or Cycad
Origin
Caribbean
South Africa
Types
Wild sago
Alexandria cycad, Encephalartos caffer, Encephalartos concinnus
Number of Varieties
366
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Loamy soils, Sandy areas
Riverbanks, Rocky areas, Scrubs
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-159-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12-8
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Cushion/Mound-forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm290.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
150.00 cm240.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Red
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lance shaped
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Slow
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires watering in the growing season, Water occasionally
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
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead leaves
Remove crossing or rubbing branches, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
fertilize in growing season, Nitrogen, Requires high amount of nitrogen
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Mealybugs
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
-
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
Coarse
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Birds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for insects, Nesting sites for birds, Prevent Soil Erosion
Air purification, Shadow Tree, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Leaves, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Foundation, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
ZAMIA pumila
ENCEPHALARTOS altensteinii
Common Name
Coontie
Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad
In Hindi
Coontie
Bread Tree
In German
Coontie
Brotbaum
In French
coontie
Bread Arbre
In Spanish
coontie
Árbol del pan
In Greek
Coontie
ψωμί Δέντρο
In Portuguese
Coontie
Árvore de pão
In Polish
Coontie
chleb Drzewo
In Latin
Coontie
panis ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Cycadophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Cycadopsida
Equisetopsida
Order
Cycadales
Cycadales
Family
Zamiaceae
Cycadaceae
Genus
Zamia
Encephalartos
Clade
-
-
Tribe
Zamieae
-
Subfamily
Zamioideae
-
Number of Species
2766
1
27800
👆🏻