Family: Zamiaceae

At maturity, the tree is almost as tall as it is wide. The 3 to 4 foot leaves radiate from a rosette located atop the trunk. The compound leaflets are thick, leathery, and slightly pubescent. The trunk is short, stout, and marked with persistent scaring from old leaves. The female plants produce bright red seeds while the male develops a pollen-producing cone.

Cycads are more than 300 million years old; some call the family ‘living fossils’. This ancient family dominated the landscape during the Jurassic period. The species is endangered due to over-harvesting in the wild. It is a commonly cultivated tree but extremely rare to find growing in its native habitat in Veracruz, Mexico.

Plant Uses:

• Bonsai
• Container plant
• Indoor plant
• Ornamental
• Specimen
• Bonzai

Plant Dangers:

• Thorns or spines
• Toxic to animals
• Toxic to humans

High Risk Traits:

• Toxic to animals and humans (seeds contain glycosides; fatal to dogs)
  
• Prickly leaf stalks
  
• Unpalatable to herbivores due to toxins
  
• Geophyte with underground storage organ (resprouts after fire/damage)
  
• Persistent seed bank (hard coat, viable >1 year)

Low Risk Traits:

• Not naturalized outside native range
  
• Not a weed (agricultural, environmental, or horticultural)
  
• No weedy congeners
  
• Not shade tolerant; prefers sun
  
• Narrow soil preference (sandy/loam/rocky)
  
• Requires specialist weevil pollinator (reproductive bottleneck)
  
• No vegetative reproduction (seeds only)
  
• Slow to reproduce (~4+ years to maturity)
  
• Large seeds; not dispersed by wind, water, or external animal attachment
  
• Low seed production (not prolific)