Cycad Encephalartos whitelockii

Encephalartos whitelockii carries long, stiff, arching leaves in a symmetrical crown on a trunk that thickens over decades, one of the larger African cycads and uncommon in cultivation, restricted in the wild to gorge country in western Uganda. The leaflets end in genuinely sharp points, and from a distance the whole crown reads as a fountain. It is a plant for one position: a single specimen with clear ground around it and something plain behind, so the silhouette registers.

Warmth above, drainage below

Give it a warm sheltered position in full sun to part shade, in soil that drains freely, and treat water as a low requirement once it is established. Most losses with this species have nothing to do with cold air. They come from water sitting where it should not, either in heavy soil that stays saturated through winter, or from irrigation played over the plant so moisture pools among the leaf bases and rots the growing point from the inside. Water at the soil rather than over the crown, water properly through the growing season, then back off hard as growth slows. If your soil is clay, plant it raised in a mound of coarse gritty mix, and in any district with cold wet winters a large container is the sensible answer because you control the mix entirely. Give it space, since the leaves arch well beyond the trunk and a crowded plant loses the symmetry that makes it worth having. Site it away from paths, seating and play areas, because the leaflet tips will draw blood, and note that all parts are toxic if chewed by pets or stock.

The specimen cycad against the dioons

Compared with chestnut dioon, whitelockii is the larger and more theatrical plant, with longer arching leaves and a crown that carries real presence on its own. Edule is stiffer, bluer, more compact and considerably more forgiving of cold and neglect, so it is the pick for exposed or inland gardens. Giant dioon sits between them, softer in the leaf and eventually trunking to small-tree height. Choose whitelockii if you want one uncommon cycad given room and a plain backdrop, and can offer it warmth and shelter. It is listed among our advanced trees.

Handling the crown

Pruning amounts to removing leaves that have browned right off, cut close to the trunk in spring, with gloves and eye protection because of the leaflet tips. Do not strip the older skirt to expose the trunk on a plant that is still building, since it draws on that foliage. Feed lightly through spring and summer with a slow-release fertiliser formulated for palms and cycads, spread over the root zone and watered in, then stop as growth slows. Keep an organic mulch over the roots but pull it back from the base so the crown stays dry, and check the leaf bases for scale and mealybug, which hide deep among them.

Choosing a size

This plant is supplied in one size, 45L, at $1319.00 per plant. The size shown is the pot it arrives in, which is the rootball, not the height of the plant. Not sure which to choose? Read our guide to when to plant in Australia.