ENCEPHALARTOS LEHMANNII RARE BLUE SOUTH AFRICAN CYCAD FOR FULL COASTAL SUN

A FAVORITE AMONG CYCAD ENTHUSIASTS

This is a popular blue cycad from the Eastern Cape area of South Africa. I say “popular” because some people don’t like spines and prickles. The leaflets of this species are narrow with only a point at the end. They are nothing as gnarly as E. horridus. The leaves and crown are very neat and uniform. The nearest species to this one is Encephalartos princeps. Trunks of E. lehmannii can get to five feet, but one with two to three feet of trunk is very old. Leaves average about four feet long and are strongly curled. Sometimes they’ll almost do a 180 or more degree re-curve. Leaf color is intensely blue like E. horridus. But, you’ll only see this color with full, hot sun. In shade or inside a greenhouse they are often green. Cold hardiness is about 21 to 22 degrees F. In the desert only give it a few hours sun. Next to Encephalartos horridus, this is the second most popular cycad we grow.

Shown below are E. lehmannii that are in 5 gallon pots. They have 4 to 6 leaves with caudexes 2 to 2.5 inches. Within a year they’d like to be repotted into l