Species library › Encephalartos › Encephalartos bubalinus
Other Little published: much of this is inferred from related species

Encephalartos bubalinus

An East African cycad of the Kenya–Tanzania border region, with an upright trunk up to 2 m tall, stiff spiny leaflets and red-orange seeds. It grows in highland savanna at about 1,400–1,700 m, under warm days, mild nights and two rainy seasons. It is CITES Appendix I listed.

Encephalartos bubalinus
Photo: Dryas, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry
Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Little is published on its habitat; the two records sit at about 1,370 and 1,660 m. Like other East African Encephalartos it most likely grows on rocky slopes in open savanna or bushland, in strong light.

Records at about 1,370 m and 1,660 m.

KenyaTanzania

🔒 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 CC BY-SA 3.0 licence, unmodified.