Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Palm or Cycad
Tender Perennial
Origin
South Africa
Southeastern Asia
Types
Encephalartos lebomboensis
Eddoe taro, Dasheen taro
Number of Varieties
10200
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Upland savannas
agricultural areas, Hillside, Warm and moist climatic conditions
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-1310-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-8
12-8
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Arching/Fountain-shaped
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
300.00 cm30.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
300.00 cm30.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
-
White, Green
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Yellow, Orange, Orange Red
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
Long linear and narrow
V-Shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial Sun
Partial shade, Full Shade
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Light Frost
Heat Tolerance, Humidity, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shallow soil
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container
How to Plant?
Seedlings
From Rhizomes
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs less watering
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
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial Sun
Partial shade, Full Shade
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
-
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Less fertilizing
Pests and Diseases
Cycad weevils, Root Pathogen
Aphids, Rats, Snails
Plant Tolerance
Light Frost
Heat Tolerance, Salt and Soil Compaction, Shade areas
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
Bold
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
pollinators
Aphids, Bugs, Snails
Allergy
-
Swelling in mouth, Throat itching
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Cottage Garden, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
Poison Ivy, Skin cleanser, Weightloss
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
No fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides needed, Prevent weeds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Aging, Laxative, Weight loss
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Pine
Leaf Stalks, Leaves
Other Uses
Traditional medicine
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Container, Feature Plant, Groundcover, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
Encephalartos lebomboensis
ALOCASIA micholitziana
Common Name
Lebombo Cycad
Elephant Ear, Taro
In Hindi
Lebombo Cycad
अरवी
In German
Lebombo Palmfarn
Colocasia (Pflanzengattung)
In French
Lebombo Cycad
Colocasia
In Spanish
Lebombo cícadas
Colocasia
In Greek
Lebombo Cycad
Colocasia
In Portuguese
Lebombo Cycad
Colocasia
In Polish
Lebombo Cycad
Kolokazja
In Latin
Lebombo Cycad
Colocasia
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Cycadophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Cycadopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cycadales
Arales
Family
Cycadaceae
Araceae
Genus
Encephalartos
Alocasia
Clade
-
Angiosperms, Monocots
Tribe
-
Colocasiodeae
Subfamily
-
Aroideae
Number of Species
6610
1
27800
👆🏻