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Species library › Zamia › Zamia purpurea
Other Partly documented

Zamia purpurea

A small cycad of the humid lowland forests of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec region in southern Mexico, named for its purplish new leaves. It is an understory plant: give warm temperatures, shade, high humidity and a well-drained but moisture-holding soil.

Zamia purpurea
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day Warm-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Ordinary room humidityBand in Plantistry
Light ShadeDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Grows on the floor of tropical lowland rainforest in the Uxpanapa and Chimalapas region of Veracruz and Oaxaca, under a closed canopy. Details are based on the measured sites and on related forest Zamias.

Most records at about 50–300 m (median 150 m); a few records up to 2,372 m are probably mislocated.

Mexico GulfMexico Southwest

🔒 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 4.0 licence, unmodified.