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Cycad · Cycas

Cycad · Cycas

Cycas revoluta

Indoor Balcony Sun Partial shade Medium

For your Cycad · Cycas

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Cycad Fertiliser · Cycas Cycad Fertiliser · CycasFrom €9,85View product → Cycas Potting Compost Cycas Potting Compost€9,95View product → Cycas Repotting Set Cycas Repotting Set€15,95View product →

Profile

Plant group
Evergreen cycad
Growth & habit
A short trunk, taller with age, carries a symmetrical crown of stiff pinnate leaves. Slow growth often occurs in flushes.
Foliage
Narrow leathery leaflets have slightly rolled edges. New fronds are soft and sensitive at first.
Family
Cycad family · Cycadaceae
Origin
Southern Japan and the Nansei Islands
Height
Slow-growing; often 0.5–2 m in containers, larger with age
Bloom
No flowers; mature male and female plants form separate reproductive structures
Toxicity
All parts are highly toxic, especially seeds; keep strictly away from children and pets

Care calendar

Leaf emergence

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

A new crown appears under suitable conditions, not necessarily every year.

Flowering / flower development

No flowers. Mature plants produce reproductive structures irregularly.

Leaf fall

Evergreen. Old outer fronds age gradually; complete annual shedding is not normal.

Pruning & growth habit

Remove only fully dead or clearly damaged fronds as needed.

Guidance for Germany and Central Europe. Position, weather, species and cultivar shift these windows; indoor and container plants also depend on their winter conditions.

Your seasonal care plan

  • Check moisture

    Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec

    Check root-zone moisture before watering. Needs rise during warm new growth and fall in cool conditions. Keep drainage free and avoid persistently wet compost or water collecting in the crown.

  • Feed active growth

    Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep

    Account for existing nutrition and root condition. Exact dilution and application limits are given with the linked product. Dilution: 5 ml per 1.5 litres of water. Every 3–4 weeks during active growth. April–September.

    View product dosage and application →

  • Prepare the root space

    Mar · Apr · May

    Choose timing by species and growth, checking medium and drainage. Follow the full instructions for the linked growing medium.

    View product dosage and application →

  • Care through winter

    Oct · Nov · Dec · Jan · Feb · Mar

    Overwinter containers in bright frost-free conditions. USDA ratings for plants in the ground do not establish frost safety for a pot.

Highlighted months are guidance, not fixed dates. Observe the plant, root ball and weather; water, feed and repot according to actual need.

Seasonal care intensity

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Seasonal guidance for Germany. Needs depend on location, weather and species. Check moisture in winter too; these markers are not a feeding schedule.

Peak care Active Reduced care

Care tips

  • Calendar for Germany/Central Europe; species, weather and location can shift timing. Overwinter containers in bright frost-free conditions. USDA ratings for plants in the ground do not establish frost safety for a pot.

Seeds & cones

Seed formation

Cycas is a cycad and forms no true fruits. Male plants develop pollen cones; females bear large seeds on specialised seed-bearing leaves. The sexes occur on separate plants.

Use

Not a food crop: the plant, especially its seeds, is poisonous. Orange-red seeds are not edible fruit. Propagation requires informed handling; keep fallen seeds away from pets.

Plant knowledge at a glance

Position, benefits & character

Position & soil

Very bright, with gradual acclimation to summer sun. Aerated medium and free drainage are essential; do not bury the trunk base.

Distinctive features

Neither a palm nor a fern botanically. As a gymnosperm, Cycas produces no flowers or true fruit.

Benefits

A long-lived specimen with an architectural leaf crown, suitable for bright rooms and sheltered summer positions.

Partners & symbioses

Cycads can associate with nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria in specialised coralloid roots. This does not imply that container plants never need feeding.

Pruning & growth habit

Healthy fronds produce energy. Do not remove them to force a new crown.

  1. 1. Retain green leaves

    Healthy fronds produce energy. Do not remove them to force a new crown.

  2. 2. Select dead foliage

    Cut fully brown fronds cleanly near their base, leaving the growing tip intact.

  3. 3. Protect the crown

    Do not bend or twist soft new fronds. Clean hands and tools after handling.

Nursery forms

This overview explains nursery supply forms. It does not indicate current availability in the GREEN24 shop.

Bare-root

Not typical for this profile

Not a usual trading form for this plant group.

Root-balled

Not typical for this profile

Not a usual trading form for this plant group.

Container-grown

Common form

Rooted pot or container stock; inspect plant and root ball before buying.

Young plant

Common form

Young plants allow early shaping but need time to establish.

Shrub

Not typical for this profile

Not a usual trading form for this plant group.

Feathered tree

Not typical for this profile

Not a usual trading form for this plant group.

Half-standard

Not typical for this profile

Not a usual trading form for this plant group.

Standard

Not typical for this profile

Not a usual trading form for this plant group.

Topiary

Not typical for this profile

Not a usual trading form for this plant group.

Propagation & grafting

Propagation

Mainly from seed or carefully separated offsets; both require patience. Remember that seeds are toxic.

Grafting

Ordinary cycad stock is not grafted. A thick trunk reflects age and growth, not necessarily a rootstock.

Species & cultivars

Cycas revoluta

The most common traded species; a slow-growing sago cycad.

Weitere Cycas-Arten

Heat requirements and mature size can differ substantially; check the species name.

Pests & diseases

These signs support an initial assessment. Different causes may look alike; choose a treatment only after identifying the problem.

Position & water first

Very bright, with gradual acclimation to summer sun. Aerated medium and free drainage are essential; do not bury the trunk base.

Recognise pests

Scale and mealybugs can occur on fronds and their bases; inspect new plants carefully.

Assess damage

Check yellowing fronds for water, light and root problems first. A wet soft trunk base calls for investigating the cause.

Hardiness · USDA

USDA describes climate using long-term winter minima, not a safe frost limit for an individual root ball. This classification concerns plants in the ground in suitable climates. Overwinter container-grown Cycas frost-free in Germany.

Cycas revoluta
USDA 9a–12bSpecies example; account for cultivar, age and site.

USDA zones describe long-term average winter extremes. Containers, young plants, wet soil, wind and late frost need separate consideration.

Understand USDA zones and maps →

Matching GREEN24 products

Matching fertilisers and substrates for your plant care.