(Brittlebush)

The sunny daisy-flowers of brittlebush are a familiar sight in the deserts of the Southwest United States and northern Mexico. The rounded, aromatic plants bear long-stemmed clusters of bright yellow blooms in spring, and sometimes again in fall or winter. The fuzzy, silver-gray, oval to lance-shaped leaves occur mostly toward the tips of the branches. Plants drop their leaves during severe drought, refoliating when rain returns.

This plant thrives in sun and well drained soils, and is remarkably...

(Bread Tree, Prickly Cycad)

Impressively elegant in stature, the numerous frond-like leaves of Encephalartos altensteinii are stiff and held outright, with dark glossy green leaflets held at an upright angle. Native to rocky hillsides in extreme southeastern South Africa, this slow growing cycad often suckers at its base, producing a clump with great age.

The trunk-like stem of the bread tree is a combination of dark brown, tan and black. It is rich in starch, and was traditionally used by natives. At the stem's...

(Zululand cycad)

Graceful and low in stature, the numerous frond-like leaves of Encephalartos ferox, the Zululand cycad, are stiff and held in an arching circle, with glossy green leaflets that have pronounced spines on their edges (which look like English holly leaves). Native to the coastal wooded grasslands of Mozambique and South Africa, this slow growing clumping cycad is considered one of the most admired of the African cycads; its species name of ferox means 'ferocious'.

Zululand cycad...

(Horrible Blue Cycad, Spiny Blue Cycad)

Architecturally splendid in stature, the numerous sharp silvery blue leaves of Encephalartos horridus, the horrible blue cycad, are stiff and held in an upright but slightly arching cluster. Native to the hot, sunny scrub and rocky ridges of the Eastern Cape of South Africa, this slow growing clumping cycad is considered one of the most admired of the African cycads; its species name of horridus means 'horrible' and hints of the experience with its foliage.

Horrible blue cycad...

(Karoo Cycad)

Architecturally handsome, the numerous sharp blue-green leaves of the Karoo cycad are stiff and held in an upright but slightly arching cluster atop a plump stem. Native to the hot, arid interior of the Eastern Cape of South Africa, this slow growing cycad is the cold hardiest and most drought tolerant of the African cycads.

Karoo cycad slowly forms a plump, upright, trunk-like stem that is beige. From the stem top is a circular rosette of upright blue-green leaves. Each stiff but curving leaf...

(Gorongowe Cycad, Rhodesian Cycad)

Impressively elegant in stature, the frond-like leaves of Encephalartos manikensis are stiff and gently arching, with medium green leaflets. Native to rocky hillsides in the highlands of Zimbabwe and Mozambique, this slow growing cycad has a trunk-like, rounded stem that will slowly reach waist height.

At the top of the Gorongowe cycad's stem is a circular rosette of long dark green leaves. Each leaf frond is ornately lined with medium to dark green slightly prickly leaflets. The leaflets...

(Lebombo Cycad, Xhosa)

Resembling a miniature date palm in appearance, the spiny, frond-like leaves of Encephalartos senticosus are stiff and upright, with dark green leaflets. Native to rocky slopes and cliffs in the Lebombo Range in northeastern South Africa, this slow growing cycad has a trunk-like, very thick stem that will slowly reach head-height.

At the top of the Lebombo cycad's stem is a circular rosette of long dark green leaves. Each leaf frond is ornately lined with medium to dark green leaflets...

(Bushman's River Cycad)

Bushman's River cycad forms a suckering clump of plants over several decades. The stiff, frond-like leaves are gray to blue-gray and teem with numerous sharp leaflets and lobes. Native to the hot, sunny scrub and rocky ridges of the Eastern Cape of South Africa, this very slow growing clumping cycad is considered one of the most ornamental and cold-hardy of the African cycads.

The low, stem-like stump of this cycad holds five to seven leaves. Very old plants may be a multi-stumped clump. Each...

(Wood's Cycad)

The numerous frond-like leaves of Encephalartos woodii are stiff and held outward and upright, with dark glossy green leaflets held on arching stems. Native to open, forested hillsides in South Africa, this relatively fast-growing, vigorous cycad often suckers at its base, producing a clump with great age. This species was discovered in 1895, and no female plants have ever been located.

The trunk-like stem of Wood's cycad is tan and thick, flaring out at the base when this tree-like...

(Large Ephedra)