Encephalartos lebomboensis stem

The main stem surface of Encephalartos lebomboensis often displays a patchwork effect from dropped off leaves. The sizes of different leaf markings depend on the abundance of rain during past growing seasons when either big or small leaves had been grown. A bit like historical records of weather conditions over the lifetimes of trees as seen in year rings. The moss on the stem in photo hides much of this feature.

This species grows fast for a cycad. It does well in both full sun or semi-shade in well-drained soil and is somewhat frost resistant. The plant in the photo is thriving in a Johannesburg garden. The species often produces suckers that can be separated for growing new plants or left to grow next to the parent stem as was done in this case.

This is just one more plant currently endangered from the people habit of rare plant collection. Rare plants require special care of the cultivated specimens, especially when those in habitat may already all be lost. One may well ask whether plant knowledge necessarily adds to plant survival. A little knowledge without the right attitude to biodiversity and conservation may merely whet the appetite for acquiring and moving existing plants from nature (Coates Palgrave, 2002; iNaturalist; www.florcomgardens.co.za; www.plantzafrica.com).