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How to grow and care for cycads

Bring the dinosaur era to your garden!
cycads in a garden with a bench(Photography: Adobe Stock)

These prehistoric plants are perfect for growing at home. Not only are they easy to care for, but they are a ‘living fossil’ that will make you feel like you’re walking in the footsteps of dinosaurs. Let us guide you on how to grow cycads in your very own backyard.

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How to grow cycads at home

Before you get planting, you need to make sure your garden has the right conditions for them to thrive.

Climate

Subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean, coastal. Tolerate light frost.

Aspect

Sun or shade. Soil Loam, sandy, poor soil.

Water

They are drought tolerant, so watering is only needed during extended dry periods.

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Food

Native fertilisers in early spring. 

Where do they grow?

Cycads thrive in the spectacular Finke Gorge National Park, 138km west of Alice Springs. No longer a target of dinosaurs wanting to up their intake of greens, Australian cycads are found in the tropical and subtropical east coast, arid landscapes and in southwest Western Australia. 

(Photography: Adobe Stock)

They may get mistaken for palms or ferns, but cycads are in a world of their own – going back 280 million years. When the dinosaurs were still stomping about, cycads were the most abundant form of plant life.

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While the age of the dinosaurs came to an abrupt end, cycads is now also in danger. Their potential extinction is because of habitat disruption and climate change.

You can help by growing one at your place. They’re decorative, hardy and easy to care for, so pop in a few and you can call your garden Jurassic Park.

4 tips for planting cycads

(Photography: Adobe Stock)

01

Small roots, no problem

Cycad roots only go down about 30cm into the soil, so they snuggle into big-rooted trees such as figs without being starved of nutrients.

(Photography: Adobe Stock)

02

They’ve got your back

Grow cycads among rocks that are stabilising a slope. They help to bind the soil together.

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(Photography: Adobe Stock)

03

It’s versatile with sunlight

Cycads love shade and sun. Plant one on the edge of a shady spot and you’ll get luminosity.

(Photography: Adobe Stock)

04

Are they edible?

You should never eat untreated cycad seeds, but they make great ornaments.

6 varieties of cycads

(Photography: Adobe Stock)

01

Cycas media

Cycas media is a tropical and subtropical east-coast favourite. It is often found close to the east coast of Queensland, with scattered occurrences in the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

(Photography: Adobe Stock)

02

Macrozamia miquelii

Macrozamia miquelii is one of the most underused cycads. It’s easy to grow and takes both full sun and share. It can also grow in tropical or sub-tropical locations.

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(Photography: Adobe Stock)

03

Encephalartos arenarius

It’s called a bread palm, but it’s really a cycad from Africa. Encephalartos arenarius can be planted in sandy soils in frost-free areas.

(Photography: Adobe Stock)

04

Macrozamia communis

Australia has its own varieties of cycads. The most readily available from nurseries is burrawang (Macrozamia communis). It grows naturally in woodlands along the New South Wales coast. In your garden, it can thrive in either shady or sunny spots. It also does well in containers. A burrawang grows up to 3 x 3m, so it really flourishes in a garden. But be careful where you plant it – its leaves have sharp points, so keep it away from pathways. There’s life after fire for cycads, as the seed cones of this variety are formed after bushfires have destroyed other vegetation.

(Photography: Adobe Stock)

05

Encephalartos cerinus

You can’t help but be impressed by the spectacular cones of the dwarf waxen cycad (Encephalartos cerinus). Native to southern Africa, the species is considered threatened in the wild.

(Photography: Adobe Stock)

06

Cycas revoluta

New fronds on the slow-growing but popular Japanese sago palm (Cycas revoluta).

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Cone zone

Because cycads are so ancient, they produce cones rather than flowers for reproduction. The male plant’s cone is cylindrical and produces pollen that fertilises the shorter, rounder female cones. The seeds produced are poisonous in their raw state, but Australia’s First Nations people soaked them in water to remove the toxins, then ground up the seeds into a pulp or paste for food.

Female cone (left), Male cone (right) (Photography: Adobe Stock)

Can you grow a cycad from a cutting?

Yes, you can grow a cycad from a cutting.

Do cycads grow in pots or ground?

Cycads can be grow in pots or the ground. If you have the time and money, try planting a cycad into a pot and allow it to grow its root system. Once it has a good root ball, plant it into the ground and watch it grow!

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Do cycads need lots of water?

Cycads need good drainage, no matter where they are planted. If you have heavy clay soil, plant it above ground level in a mound or a raised bed. Once planted, water and mulch well. They dislike wet foliage, so try to only water the roots and keep them drier in the winter when evaporation is low.

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