Life Span
Perennial
Biennial
Type
Grass
Palm or Cycad
Origin
-
South Africa
Types
Karl Feather Reed Grass
Avalanche
Eldorado
Overdam
Alexandria cycad, Encephalartos caffer, Encephalartos concinnus
Number of Varieties
366
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Forest margins, gardens, Grassland, Humid climates
Riverbanks, Rocky areas, Scrubs
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-99-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9 - 5
12-8
Sunset Zone
2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
60.00 cm290.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
60.00 cm240.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Light brown
-
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Light Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green
Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Gold, Tan
Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Long linear and narrow
Pinnate
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Late Summer
Early Summer, Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Salt, Soil Compaction
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Spores
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
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
Clay, Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
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
Pests and Diseases
Pests and diseases free
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Insignificant
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
Fine
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Birds
Allergy
Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification, Shadow Tree, Windbreak
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
-
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
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
Dried Flower / Everlasting, Cutflower, Foundation, Mixed Border, Wildflower
Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
CALAMAGROSTIS x acutiflora
ENCEPHALARTOS altensteinii
Common Name
Feather Reed Grass
Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad
In Hindi
पंख ईख घास
Bread Tree
In German
Feather Reed Grass
Brotbaum
In French
Feather Reed Herbe
Bread Arbre
In Spanish
Pluma Reed Hierba
Árbol del pan
In Greek
Αστραπή Reed Χόρτο
ψωμί Δέντρο
In Portuguese
Pena Reed grama
Árvore de pão
In Polish
Pióro Reed trawy
chleb Drzewo
In Latin
Pluma Grass
panis ligno
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
-
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Equisetopsida
Order
Poales
Cycadales
Family
Poaceae
Cycadaceae
Genus
Calamagrostis
Encephalartos
Clade
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
-
Tribe
Aveneae
-
Subfamily
Pooideae
-
Number of Species
26066
1
27800
👆🏻