Encephalartos ferox
Tongaland cycad
Family ZamiaceaeAlso called Maputaland cycad, Kozi cycad
About
Encephalartos ferox is a small cycad of coastal Mozambique and northern KwaZulu-Natal with spine-tipped leaflets and salmon-red cones. It is among the most popular cycads in cultivation.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Not recorded. We have no source on whether this plant is safe for cats, dogs or other pets — that is not the same as safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked.
- People
- Not recorded.
- Water
- Needs plenty of water.
- Humidity
- Comes from areas that are very humid in summer.
- Temperature
- Moderate temperatures; best in warmer regions.
- Soil
- Well-drained soil.
- Propagation
- Seed, or suckers removed from the parent plant.
- Growth rate
- Relatively fast for a cycad, but slow compared with most plants.
- Hardiness
- Not very frost tolerant.
Field notes
Morphology
A small cycad with an underground trunk about 35 cm wide. The leaflet lobes end in spines, probably the origin of its name (Latin for fierce). Its cones are dark salmon-coloured rather than the usual cycad green.
Distribution & habitat
Southern coast of Mozambique and northern KwaZulu-Natal, often on white beach sand close to the sea among dune vegetation, and in evergreen forest. Summers are humid, with 1,000–1,250 mm of rain a year; winters are mild and frost exposure is uncertain.
Ecology
Grows faster than members of other cycad genera, though still slowly compared with most plants.
Cultivation notes
One of the most popular cultivated cycads, and fairly easy to grow given plenty of water, well-drained soil and moderate temperatures. It is not very frost tolerant and suits warmer regions. It can be raised from seed or from suckers removed from the parent.
History & etymology
First described in 1851 from Mozambique material; later redescribed as E. kosiensis from Natal plants, but the original name was kept. Local people have used it for its starch.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- Mozambique, South Africa
- IUCN status
- Near threatened
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
- Temperature
- Moderate temperatures; best in warmer regions.
- Humidity
- Comes from areas that are very humid in summer.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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