Helena

Cycad

Cycas Revoluta; Japanese sago palm

• 
  Most light conditions
• 
  Easy care
• 
  Evergreen

• Helena likes...
  • 
    Light watering

    She likes her soil on the dry side, so she’s easy to water. Give her a drink if her top two inches of soil feel dry.

  • 
    Medium light

    She’s very happy in a spot that gets a good amount of light through the day. Doesn’t have to be bright, but not shady.

  • 
    Humidity

    You’ll keep those fancy fronds healthy if you mist her a couple of times a week. Or put her in a bathroom.

• Quick facts

  Botanical name

  Cycas revoluta

  Nickname

  Cycad; Japanese sago palm

  Air purifying

  Yes

  Plant height

  60-70cm

  Pet/Baby safe

  Very toxic if ingested

  Nursery pot size

  17cm

• About Cycad

  Despite the very palmy-appearance, this isn’t actually a palm. It’s a cycad. Cycad have a woody trunk like a palm, but their leaves tend to be harder. The cycad family has a very, very long history. Versions of the cycad were around when dinosaurs walked the Earth over 250 million years ago. This plant has seen some things.

  It grows in tropical areas all over the world, including Central America, the east side of Africa and parts of Australia. As an indoor plant, it’s very slow growing and relatively easy to look after. It likes its soil quite dry and the air humid. You can boost its growing a bit by giving it a feed once in spring and again in summer.

  It doesn’t like to be fussed about too much, so it’s good for areas where it won’t be brushed against a lot. It’s been around millions of years; it needs a bit of time to itself.

  Did you know?

  Cycads are highly prized in Vanuatu and crossed cycad leaves appear on the national flag.