Cardboard cycad is a slow-growing cycad with rigid, cardboard-textured leaves that is native to Mexico. It is a member of the zamia family (Zamiaceae). The species epithet is Latin for "having brown scales like bran" and refers to the scaly indumentum of the leaves and petioles. The showy, large leaves grow in a rosette pattern similar to palms. It is easy to grow in well-drained soils in full sun to partial shade. A large seed cone forms in the center of the female plant with many red, toxic seeds. They are drought- and salt-tolerant. In NC, it will need to be brought indoors for the winter. Grow this plant in well-drained sandy loam soil in full sun to partial shade. Allow the soil to dry between waterings and use a pot with several drainage holes. They are slow-growing, so they can make a nice indoor plant. More information on Zamia .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in. | Width: 5 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Multi-trunked; Rounded
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Whorled
Leaf shape
Obovate
Leaf margin
Entire; Serrate
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Large compound leaves with 6-12 pairs of stiff fuzzy leaflets. Leaflets are 3-8 inches long and 1-2 inches wide. Upper third of leaves may have serrated margins. They grow in a spiral similar to palms.
Flower detail
Gymnosperms have no true flowers. It produces a rusty-brown cone in the center of the female plant. The egg-shaped female cones and smaller male cone clusters are produced on separate plants.
Fruit detail
No fruits, gymosperm.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Mexico
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Container; Houseplants
Landscape theme
Drought Tolerant Garden
Garden tags
#cycad #slow growing #problem for cats #showy leaves #problem for dogs #poisonous #problem for horses #full sun tolerant #partial shade tolerant #houseplant #container plant #coastal plant
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Poisonous to Humans; Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses
Resistant to
Deer; Drought; Dry Soil
Propagation
Division; Seed
Poison severity
Medium
Poison parts
Seeds
Poison symptoms
Vomiting (may be bloody), dark stools, headache, stomach pain, jaundice, increased thirst, bloody diarrhea, bruising, liver failure, death. 1-2 seeds can be fatal.