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Species library › Encephalartos › Encephalartos longifolius
Other Well documented

Encephalartos longifolius

A slow, massive-trunked cycad (Suurberg cycad, breadpalm) from mountain ridges of the Eastern Cape, South Africa, up to about 600 m. It takes full sun, mild frost-free winters and year-round moderate rain, and needs a fast-draining mix.

Encephalartos longifolius
Photo: CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry
Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
No rest periodGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Rocky mountain ridges with fynbos and thicket from the Kouga Mountains east to near Grahamstown, often in exposed positions.

Up to about 600 m; the weighted climate sites are mostly at 200–540 m.

Eastern CapeSouth Africa

🔒 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 2.5 licence, unmodified.