Q. Please tell me some ways in which I can care for a cycad as a houseplant.
Answer
Cycas revoluta or sago palm is the palm-like member of the cycad plant grouping that has become a popular houseplant. These plants are more closely related to conifers than palms and are among the most primitive of plants. The frond-like leaves grow from a bulbous, spiny base that stores moisture for periods of drought.
These plants are very slow growing, producing only about one new leaf a year and thus rarely outgrowing manageability as a large indoor plant. Tight conditions in a terracotta pot are ideal and repotting is needed infrequently, perhaps every third year, into a soil-based potting mixture in the next larger pot size.
They require strong year-round sunlight and warm temperatures (no lower than 55° F on a winter's night) but are relatively easy to maintain. Watering is the most critical detail and sago palms should not be allowed to dry out while avoiding over-saturation. Monthly feeding is advised during the most active growth, from early spring to early autumn.
Courtesy of NYBG Plant Information
