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Species library › Encephalartos › Encephalartos altensteinii
Other Well documented

Encephalartos altensteinii

The Eastern Cape giant cycad, a tall, trunked cycad of coastal scrub, rocky slopes and valley forest in the Eastern Cape and southern KwaZulu-Natal. It grows in a mild, frost-free climate with rain in every season and is extremely long-lived in cultivation.

Encephalartos altensteinii
Photo: Mildasb, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry
Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
No rest periodGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Near the coast in open scrub, on steep rocky slopes, in evergreen valley forest and along riverbanks; adults reach sun, seedlings start in part shade.

Mostly low coastal elevations, with inland populations higher up in the Amatola Mountains.

South AfricaEastern CapeKwaZulu-Natal

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it
✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
✓ Substrate and airflow
✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its Public domain licence, unmodified.