Encephalartos Middelburgensis

Plant Description

It is a very similar with Dolomiticus but much more readily available (still pretty expensive, though). Mature plants have a wonderful blue-green-purple so silver-grey color to the leaves that is unlike just about another cycad (say perhaps E dolomiticus). The leaves are long, straight and the leaflets have a unique twist to them. It is a moderately fast plant (once it finally gets going... seedlings can be pretty slow) and a finicky one. It much prefers full sun and draining soil, but seems to resent moving, and can suddenly stop growing for no reason, taking a ‘break' for a few years before resuming growth.

Plant Specification
- 3.5cm stem size

Plant Order Code
- MID3CM

Price
- US$400 (inclusive delivery charges)

Encephalartos Lehmannii

Plant Description

Is a beautiful plant and one of the more popular species thanks to its being readily available and a wonderful light purply-blue to pale blue or blue-green color. There are several leaf varieties of this plant with variations in leaf length and straightness (some forms have an ornamental recurving of the leaves). Leaves have closely spaced sharp-tipped leaflets that are flat and usually simple. Stems rarely get over 3' tall and those would be on exceptionally old plants, so this is a good specimen species for smaller areas of the garden or for pots. This is a commonly confused plant with Encephalartos princeps, which is similar is shape, size and leaf color/shape, though the latter tends to have slightly overlapping leaflets (in mature individuals... seedlings can be indistinguishable).

Plant Specification
- 4 cm stem size
- Blue leaf

Plant Order Code
- LEH4CM

Price
- US$190 (inclusive delivery charges)

Encephalartos Nubimontanus Robustus

Plant Description

Is another rare South African species, so rare that it is nearly extinct in the wild. Almost all information about this species is based on the plants in captivity. It is a very sought after species coming in both a blue-green form as well as a pale-green-leaved form. Both have strongly arching, recurving leaves with long, narrow pointed simple leaflets. Some confuse this with E lehmannii or E princeps, but the leaflets are much more spaced apart than in either of those other two species. With luck this species will end up being propagated in cultivation to such a degree that the species will be saved.

Plant Specification
- 6 cm stem size
- Broad and spiky leaflet (very ornamental)

Plant Order Code
- NUBIROB6CM

Price
- US$720 (inclusive delivery charges)

Encephalartos Dyerianus

Plant Description

A medium to large, clumping cycad, with up to 4 trunks that get to about 4m long. Leaves are glaucous, veed in cross section, and up to 1.7m long. Young leaves are silvery.

Plant Specification
- 5 cm stem size
- 2 x 18cm long blue silvery leaves

Plant Order Code
- DYE5CM

Price
- US$575 (inclusive delivery charges)