Sago Palm Cycad

Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta) is not a palm at all. It is a cycad, a plant group older than flowering plants, and it grows a rigid, perfectly symmetrical rosette of deep green glossy fronds above a thickening trunk. It reaches around 1.5m tall and 1.5m wide and takes decades to get there. One caution up front: every part of this plant is highly toxic to dogs, cats and people, and the seeds most of all.

Why you'll love it

• Architectural symmetry. Each flush of fronds emerges as a complete whorl, so the plant is geometrically even in a way little else manages.
• Close to indestructible. Drought, heat and salt tolerant, with thick fronds that shrug off wind, glare and reflected heat off paving.
• Proven poolside. It does not shed leaf litter continuously, which is exactly what you want beside water.
• Ideal in a pot. Slow growth and a compact root system let it hold the same large pot for a decade, and the trunk thickens into a specimen over time.

Where it works best

Poolside planting. Salt and chlorine splash do not trouble it, and there is no constant leaf drop into the water. Set it back far enough that the stiff frond tips are not at shin height beside a walkway.

Feature and specimen planting. A single mature plant carries a courtyard or a front entry, and it is worth uplighting at night.

Pots and coastal gardens. A pot 500mm or wider suits a plant of this size, and coastal exposure is no obstacle.

Growing sago palm in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade. It suits tropical, subtropical, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens and takes light frost only, so in cold inland and southern districts grow it in a pot that moves under cover for winter.

Soil. Sharp drainage is essential. Sandy or gravelly soil is ideal, and on clay it needs a raised mound or a pot. Waterlogged soil rots the crown, the most common way these plants are lost.

Water and feed. Water deeply but infrequently, letting the soil dry between drinks. Once established it asks for very little. Feed a palm and cycad fertiliser in spring and again in late summer. Yellowing on new fronds usually signals a manganese shortage rather than a watering problem.

Pruning. Remove only fully brown fronds, cutting close to the trunk. Never take green fronds off a cycad, because it stores nutrients in them and the next flush may be a year away.

What to expect when it arrives

This cycad is grown here across eleven sizes: 140mm, 175mm and 200mm packs, then 300mm, 400mm and 500mm pots, and 45L, 90L, 100L, 200L and 400L specimens. The difference between them is years rather than months. Small sizes reward patience; the large containers are what you buy when you want a mature trunk now.

Cycads travel exceptionally well, because the fronds are rigid and hold little moisture. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Choosing low maintenance poolside plants
• Browse plants suited to poolside gardens
• Palms, ferns and tropical foliage plants
• Plants that handle coastal conditions

Common questions

Is the sago palm toxic to pets?

Yes, seriously so. Every part contains cycasin and the seeds are the most concentrated. Ingestion by a dog or cat is a veterinary emergency and can be fatal, so do not plant it where a pet digs or chews, and remove any seeds that form.

How fast does it grow?

Very slowly. Expect one flush of new fronds a year in warm conditions, and often less. A plant carrying a 30cm trunk usually has ten years or more of growing behind it.

Can I grow it indoors?

It will live indoors in a very bright spot, though growth almost stops and the fronds stretch if the light is poor. Given the toxicity, an indoor position within reach of a pet or a small child is not a good idea.