Cycas revoluta Thunb. 

🌱 Morphology

  It coexisted with the dinosaurs... It is a gymnosperm with a shrubby habit and very slow growth, developing a robust, cylindrical, and generally unbranched trunk, crowned by a rosette of very long pinnate leaves. The rigid and arched leaves can reach between 1 and 1.5 m and are composed of numerous narrow, leathery, and pointed leaflets, with slightly revolute margins, a characteristic that gives the species its name. The foliage is dark green, glossy, and evergreen. New leaves appear clustered in an annual flush or, under favorable conditions, in more than one, forming a highly regular circular crown. It is a plant with an architectural appearance, very long-lived, and with an especially slow development. It is neither a palm tree nor a succulent plant, although it shows good adaptation to periods of drought.

🌍 Origin, habitat, and family

It is native to southern Japan, especially the Ryūkyū Islands and southern Kyūshū, with natural populations also in the Chinese province of Fujian and eastern Taiwan. It grows in subtropical environments, frequently near the coast, on rocky slopes, stony ground, and well-drained cliffs, between approximately 100 and 500 m above sea level. Its habitat receives abundant rainfall, concentrated mainly from late spring to autumn, coinciding with the monsoon season. Its resistance to dry periods allows it to adapt to Mediterranean cultivation, provided it has a balanced substrate and excellent drainage.

Family: Cycadaceae. Order: Cycadales. It is a gymnosperm from one of the oldest plant lineages still in existence.

❄️ Temperature — USDA 9a

It tolerates minimum temperatures of −6.7 °C, corresponding to the lower limit of USDA zone 9a. This reference does not imply that it can withstand prolonged frosts without damage. The leaves may deteriorate at temperatures below 0 °C, especially if they coincide with high humidity. It is recommended to protect the plant from severe frosts and keep the root system away from persistent moisture during the winter.

☀️ Lighting

It needs abundant light to develop a compact crown of leaves and maintain green, consistent foliage. Very bright exposure, with filtered light or gentle direct sunlight, is recommended, especially avoiding intense sun during the middle hours of summer, which can cause discoloration and burning of the leaflets. As a cultivation guideline, a DLI PAR of 15–25 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ may be sought, adapting it to the temperature, acclimatization, and age of the plant. Any increase in sun exposure should be introduced gradually.

💧 Growth cycle and watering

Winter dormancy. It is an evergreen plant, but its growth occurs in periodic flushes, generally during spring and summer. During these periods, it is recommended to water deeply and let the substrate dry out partially before the next watering. During the winter, when vegetative activity decreases, watering should be spaced out, avoiding that the substrate remains wet for prolonged periods. Although it tolerates some drought once established, it needs sufficient water during the emergence and development of new leaves. Waterlogging is especially harmful to its roots.

🌰 Reproduction and fruiting

It is a dioecious species, so there are male and female specimens. The males produce a large central reproductive cone, elongated and erect in shape, while the females develop reproductive structures formed by megasporophylls arranged around the apex. It does not produce flowers or true fruits, but rather naked seeds, characteristic of gymnosperms. When pollination occurs, female specimens can develop large, orange-toned seeds. Reproduction by seed is slow and requires patience, although it can also be propagated by the offsets that appear at the base of the trunk.

🌿 Nutrition

It is recommended to use exclusively Desert COTE®, a granulated fertilizer with slow and temperature-dependent release. It should be applied once a year, preferably at the beginning of spring, coinciding with the start of the period of greatest vegetative activity. Its approximate duration of six months allows it to cover the nutritional needs during the growth cycle without the need to make additional applications. It is not recommended to repeat the application in summer or autumn. Balanced nutrition favors the formation of new leaf crowns and the maintenance of green, consistent, and healthy foliage.

Gourmet black pot of 13x13 cm  and. Large specimens in a 40x40 cm pot

This is an inimitable xerophyte cultivated in Madrid in a technological square pot and with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.