Sago palm

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; light afternoon shade helps in very hot, dry climates. Acclimatise indoor-grown plants gradually before placing them in direct sun.

Water

Water deeply, then let the upper soil dry before watering again. Established plants tolerate some drought; keep substantially drier during cool winter weather.

Soil

Well-drained sandy or loamy soil, preferably slightly acidic to neutral. For containers, use a free-draining potting mix and a pot with drainage holes.

Height

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m), occasionally taller after many decades

Spread

6-8 ft (1.8-2.4 m)

Foliage

Evergreen. Glossy, dark green, feather-shaped leaves with narrow, rigid leaflets and sharp tips. New leaves emerge soft and pale before hardening.

Growth

Very slow; usually produces one flush of leaves a year, sometimes none in cool conditions.

Care needed

Medium

• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.4 ft (0.74 m)

3. After 2 years

   3 ft (0.98 m)

4. After 3 years

   4 ft (1.2 m)

5. After 5 years

   6 ft (1.7 m)

About 8 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Growth rate

Slow

• Water at soil level and never leave a container standing in water.
• Apply a slow-release fertiliser formulated for palms and cycads in spring, following the label; avoid feeding during winter dormancy.
• Keep mulch clear of the trunk and crown.
• Move container plants into bright, frost-free shelter before autumn frosts; avoid cold, wet roots.
• Wear gloves when handling the sharp foliage, and promptly collect fallen seeds where children or animals could reach them.

Pruning. Remove fully brown, dead or badly damaged leaves close to their bases in late spring, without cutting into the trunk or crown. Retain healthy green leaves and avoid stripping the plant to a bare trunk.

Spring

Check drainage, resume watering as growth starts and apply a labelled palm-and-cycad fertiliser.

Late spring

Remove dead leaves and gradually acclimatise overwintered container plants to outdoor light.

Summer

Water containers when the upper mix dries, and inspect leaf undersides for scale insects.

Late summer

Collect any loose or fallen seeds promptly and dispose of them where children and animals cannot reach them.

Autumn

Move pots into bright, frost-free shelter before frost arrives.

Winter

Water sheltered plants sparingly, keeping the mix from becoming completely dry but never saturated.

• Use a single specimen in a large courtyard container to emphasise its symmetrical crown.
• Plant among gravel and low groundcovers for a strong evergreen focal point.
• Combine with broad-leaved shade plants in a sheltered subtropical border for contrasting leaf shapes.
• Use matching containers to frame an entrance, leaving enough room for the sharp leaves to remain clear of people.

Garden styles it suits: Architectural minimal, Modern tropical, Modern courtyard, Japanese, Mediterranean and Luxury resort.

Plant it with: Mondo grass, Cast-iron plant, Agapanthus and Dwarf pittosporum.

Wildlife: Offers some shelter for small animals, but has little value for typical garden pollinators because it does not produce flowers. Do not allow pets or livestock access to the plant or its seeds.

• Scale insects, including cycad aulacaspis scale in affected warm regions: inspect leaf undersides and stems, isolate infested pots and use a labelled horticultural oil with thorough coverage and repeat treatments as directed. Heavy infestations may need specialist treatment.
• Mealybugs: check leaf bases and offsets, remove small colonies by hand and treat persistent infestations with a labelled insecticidal soap or horticultural oil.
• Root or crown rot: prevent waterlogging, keep the crown uncovered and reduce winter watering. Repot container plants into fresh, free-draining mix if roots are deteriorating.
• Yellow, distorted new leaves from manganese deficiency: have soil or growing mix assessed and correct the deficiency with a labelled manganese treatment; ordinary general-purpose feeding may not solve it.

Highly toxic to cats, dogs, horses and people. All parts are poisonous, especially the seeds; ingestion can cause vomiting, severe liver damage and death. Suspected ingestion is an emergency: contact a veterinarian or poison service immediately and do not wait for symptoms.

• Queen sago (Cycas circinalis)

  Usually has much longer, softer-looking leaves with flatter, broader leaflets; sago palm has shorter, stiffer leaves with leaflet margins rolled under.

• Cardboard palm (Zamia furfuracea)

  Has broad, leathery, paddle-shaped leaflets rather than the narrow, sharply pointed leaflets of sago palm.

• Virgin's palm (Dioon edule)

  Has generally flatter, blue-green to grey-green leaves; sago palm is typically glossy dark green with strongly rolled-under leaflet margins.

The species name revoluta refers to the rolled-under leaflet margins, while the common name reflects its palm-like appearance and historical association with starch called sago.

Propagation. Usually propagated from basal offsets or fresh seed. Separate offsets in warm weather with clean tools, allow cut surfaces to dry and pot into a barely moist, free-draining mix; rooting is slow. Seed production requires separate male and female plants and successful pollination;

Accepted botanical name

Cycas revoluta

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states, Pacific Basin and Puerto Rico.

Native range

China Southeast, Japan, Nansei-shoto and Taiwan.

Measured

Average height 150 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.