Cardboard palm

Cardboard palm: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Round crown about 1 m tall and 1.2 m wide on a thick, often partly underground stem (caudex); very slow growing.

Leaves

Feathery, up to about 1 m long, with many pairs of stiff, oval, leathery leaflets; downy brown when young, later dark green.

Cones

There are separate male and female plants, which bear cones; this rarely happens indoors.

Roots

Thick, fleshy roots and a bulbous stem: prone to rot if overwatered.

Plants: April–May

Why grow it?

• Tough houseplant that tolerates dry air and the odd forgotten watering.
• Strong, architectural foliage in a wide, symmetrical crown.
• Grows slowly and stays tidy for a long time: little repotting and little pruning.
• Suits a bright, modern room, lovely as a specimen in a wide pot.
• A living fossil: cycads already existed in the age of the dinosaurs.

Cardboard palm: where does it grow best?

• As bright as possible, with a few hours of sun. In half shade it grows more slowly; accustom it gradually to strong sun.
• Warm: 18–28 °C in summer; the minimum is 10 °C.
• Very free-draining, sandy potting compost (cactus compost, or potting compost with plenty of sand and perlite); neutral.
• Dry to moderate: let the compost dry out well between waterings. Tolerates dry air and drought.
• Allow 1–1.2 m of width. Keep it out of reach of children and pets: all parts are poisonous.

Light

Sunny or bright, out of direct sun

Potting soil

Cactus compost or multi-purpose compost

Acidity

Neutral

Watering

Sparingly

Size

1 m tall, 1.2 m wide

Temperature

Minimum 10 °C

Goes well with

• Yucca: The same need for plenty of light and little water.
• Mother-in-law’s tongue (Sansevieria): A tough foliage plant that also tolerates drought, with upright leaves as a contrast.
• Agave: A succulent with firm leaf rosettes, for the same dry, bright spot.

Cardboard palm: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May.

1. Repot in April–May, every 2–3 years at most: it grows slowly and likes to be a little cramped.
2. Choose a heavy, stable pot with a large hole; the plant becomes top-heavy.
3. Use cactus compost or mix potting compost with half sand or perlite, with a layer of clay pebbles at the bottom.
4. Set the plant so that the top of the stem sticks out partly above the compost; do not bury it deeply, as that causes rot.
5. Water a little after repotting, then let it dry out.
6. Wear gloves and wash your hands afterwards: all parts are poisonous.

Care

Water

Water only when the compost is completely dry: in summer about every 1–2 weeks, in winter much less. Do not pour water into the heart of the plant.

Feeding

From April to September a cactus or houseplant feed at half strength every 4–6 weeks.

Humidity

Tolerates dry air. Wipe dust from the leaves with a damp cloth.

New leaves

New leaves emerge all at once a few times a year; when young they are soft and brittle, so do not touch them.

Turning

Turn the pot now and then so the crown grows evenly.

Tip: Use a heavy pot and water only when the compost is completely dry: many Zamias die from too much water, not too little. Be patient, because it only produces new leaves a few times a year.

Cardboard palm: when to prune it?

When: It does not need pruning. Just remove dead or damaged leaves, all year round.

How:

• Only cut leaves off when they are completely brown and dead.
• Use a sharp pair of secateurs and cut as close to the stem as possible.
• Never cut into the stem or the growing tip: the plant could die.

Caution: Wear gloves: all parts of the plant are poisonous. Never cut off the growing tip.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Offsets

It sometimes forms offsets at the base. Detach them in April–May with a few roots and pot them in sandy, dry compost; keep them lightly moist and warm.

Seed

Seed germinates slowly, often only after several months, and the seeds are poisonous. At home this is a laborious route.

Cardboard palm: how does it get through the winter?

• Not hardy: the minimum is 10 °C. It prefers a cool, bright place at 12–18 °C.
• Water sparingly, about once every 3–4 weeks; the compost should stay dry. Do not feed.
• Put it in the brightest spot, also in a cool, bright, frost-free room.
• Keep it out of draughts and away from a cold window.

Diseases and pests

• Rotten stem or yellow leaves: Mostly too much water. Let the compost dry out completely, remove affected parts and repot in sandy compost. If the stem is soft, saving the plant is difficult.
• Scale insects and mealybugs: Brown shields or white cottony tufts on the leaves and stem. Remove them with a cotton bud dipped in alcohol or mild soap and repeat after a week.
• Spider mites: Fine webbing in dry, warm air. Shower with lukewarm water and wipe the leaves with a damp cloth.
• No new leaves: Too little light or a pot that is too small. Move it somewhere brighter and be patient: it grows slowly.

Through the year

• January: Rest: cool (12–18 °C), bright, almost no water.
• February: Rest. Check for scale insects.
• March: More light and a little more water. Do not feed yet.
• April: Repot if needed (every 2–3 years). Start feeding.
• May: Repot if needed. Feed.
• June: Water as soon as the compost is dry. Feed.
• July: Water as soon as the compost is dry. Feed.
• August: Feed. New leaves may appear.
• September: Last feed.
• October: Less water. Bring inside to a bright place.
• November: Little water. Cool.
• December: Rest. Little water.

Edible and useful

Not edible. Sago palm (Cycas) and zamia are not palms but cycads, and highly poisonous in all their parts, especially the seeds: they contain cycasin, which damages the liver. Dogs, which like to chew the seeds, trunk or leaves, are most at risk: just a few seeds can cause liver failure, which can be fatal even with treatment. The plant is dangerous to cats and children too. The first signs (vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy) sometimes appear only after a few hours: call your vet at once if your dog or cat has chewed it, even if it shows no symptoms yet. Keep the pot out of reach of pets and children, clear away cut leaves and seeds straight away, and wear gloves when repotting and pruning. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Did you know?

• Cycads such as Zamia already existed in the age of the dinosaurs and are therefore called ‘living fossils’.
• Zamia is neither a palm nor a fern: it belongs to the gymnosperms, like conifers and ginkgo.
• The species name furfuracea means ‘scurfy’, after the fine, brownish scales on the young leaves.