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Cycas
revoluta, the King Sago Palm or Cycad, is found in
tropical and subtropical regions, mostly in Africa and
Asia. The Cycad is not really a palm, it is more of a
primitive plant, but for more commodities it is treated
as a palm. It grows to a maximal height of 6 meters for 2
meters wide. It has a long lifespan.
The trunk of the Cycad is short and wide. It looks like
it has rusty scales covering it. The tree is either male
or female. The male tree will produce 20-40 cm long brown
inflorescences with an exotic smell. The female trees
have much smaller inflorescences. The foliage is
persistent under tropical climates, semi-persistent
elsewhere and very rigid. It is light green when young
and becomes darker as it ages. The leaves measure 90 to
150 cm long and curve down. They grow in a rosette around
the trunk.
Hardiness zones 9-11 (-5ºC/25ºF, 4ºC/40ºF) in winter.
The plant dies under -10ºC. The foliage is affected
around -6ºC. The tree is resistant to drought, since it
can stock water in its trunk. The best climate for this
plant is tropical or tempered. It needs a lot of heat in
order to stay healthy.
Cycad needs a well drained, rich and light soil. It has
average water needs, water once or twice a week or just
enough for the soil to stay moist. Letting the soil dry
out for 3 days will not harm it. It needs a couple of
hours of sunlight per day. Full sun is the ideal location
for this tree.
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