Plant of the Week Show 315

No t-shirt winner--Show taped in Italy.

Common Name:
Sago Palm

Scientific Name:
Cycas revoluta

The Sago Palm has become a very popular landscape item. But most people don't realize that it is not a palm at all, but rather a Cycad. Cycads are a group of plants that are very primitive in their origins. Fossils have been found on almost every continent on the planet. It is often stated that cycads have evolved little since the days of the dinosaurs. There are species that have gone extinct, while there are others that seemed to show little evolution over millions of years. Therefore as a group, cycads are often referred to as "living fossils."

Sago Palm is subtropical and native to the Far East and has been used as a choice container plant for centuries. It cannot be grown outdoors in NC, but makes a great houseplant.

The growth habit of Cycas revoluta displays an upright trunk with a diameter from 1" to 12" depending on age, topped with stiff feather-like leaves growing in a circular pattern. Rather than continuously adding foliage, Sagos produce a periodic "flush" of new leaves, called a "break". Eventually, offsets begin to grow at the base of the specimen, and occasionally in the crown. The addition of offsets provides a source of new plants and many possibilities for developing a unique specimen.

This subtropical adapts to a wide range of temperatures from 15 to 110 degrees F (-11 to 42 degrees C), accepts full sun or bright interior light, thrives with attention, and tolerates neglect.