Scientific name: Cycas revoluta,
English Name: Cycad, Sago Palm
Local Name:
General information
Sago Palms have sturdy trunks that are typically about one to two feet in diameter, sometimes wider and can grow into very old specimens with twenty feet of trunk. The leaves are a dark olive green and about three to four feet long when the plants are of a reproductive age.
Human benefits
The leaves are used for stuffing pillows, making mattresses and also for making cloth to some extent. The leaves are also used to make hats, mats, baskets, fences, brooms, cordage and twines. The seeds contain oil which is used like ordinally palm oil. Cycas revoluta wood is used in Japan for making boxes, bottle stands and decorative pieces. Cycas revoluta is a good source of food materials such as vegetables, cakes and kaffir bread
Health benefits
The gum exuded from the injured petioles or stems is used is an antidote for snake bites and insect bites and on the malignant ulcers.
Maintenance
Any climate that gets at least 9 inches of rain a year will sustain a sago. In dry climates, however, sagos need moderate watering. During very warm, dry weather, keep the sago happy by deep watering it every two weeks or so. Leave the hose on a very low drip and place it at the base of the tree. Leave it there for an hour or so to let the water penetrate down to the roots. Once the plant is well established, deep watering is not needed. Sago palms do best in well-drained soil. If the soil is full of clay or is very sandy, add good quality compost. specimen and a great cut flower for arrangements. Protea cynaroides is well adapted with its thick underground stems that have dormant buds that sprout up after a fire. It is the national flower of South Africa. The genus and plant family is named for the Greek god Proteus, who was able to change between many forms and reflects the incredible variety and diversity of the plants in the family.
Human benefits
Protea cynaroides makes for stunning cut flowers for formal arrangements, and has gained increasing popularity for use in weddings and other formal events. The flower heads attract bees, butterflies, birds and beetles.
Cultivation Details
This species is probably the hardiest cycad, able to tolerate light frosts. It can be grown from the warm temperate zone through to the tropics
Requires a sunny position Plants are sometimes found in dense shade in the wild. Requires a strong loam with sharp sand and good drainage Succeeds in dry soils