Zamia furfurcea: Country Or Region Of Origin
Mexico
Plant Profile: Zamia furfurcea
Names
Cardboard Cycad, Cardboard Plant, Cardboard Sago, Jamaican Sago, Mexican Cycad
Phonetic Spelling:ZAM-ee-uh fur-fur-AH-see-u
Genus:Zamia
Species:furfuracea
Family:Zamiaceae
The Cardboard Cycad is a gradually growing cycad characterized by its stiff, cardboard-like leaves, and it hails from Mexico. Its impressive, large leaves emerge in a circular arrangement reminiscent of palm fronds. This plant thrives in well-drained soil and prefers full sun to partial shade. The female plant produces a prominent seed cone at its center, which contains numerous red seeds that are toxic. Additionally, it exhibits resilience to both drought and salt.
In North Carolina, this plant must be brought indoors during the winter months. It should be cultivated in sandy loam soil that drains well, receiving full sun to partial shade. It's important to let the soil dry out between waterings and to use a pot equipped with multiple drainage holes. Due to its slow growth rate, the Cardboard Cycad can serve as an attractive indoor plant.
For further details on Zamia, please refer to additional resources.
Zamia furfurcea Feature Summary
Tags
#poisonous
#full sun tolerant
#houseplant
#slow growing
#showy leaves
#coastal plants
#cycad
#partial shade tolerant
#problem for cats
#gymnosperm
#problem for dogs
#problem for horses
#container plants
Similar Plants
Zamia furfurcea Feature Summary
Attributes
Fruit
No fruits, gymosperm.
Flowers
Gymnosperms have no true flowers. It produces a rusty-brown cone in the center of the female plant. The egg-shaped female cones and smaller male cone clusters are produced on separate plants.
Leaves
Large compound leaves with 6-12 pairs of stiff fuzzy leaflets. Leaflets are 3-8 inches long and 1-2 inches wide. Upper third of leaves may have serrated margins. They grow in a spiral similar to palms.
Broadleaf Evergreen
Green
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Whorled
Obovate
Entire
Serrate
3-6 inches
1-3 inches
Poisonous to Humans
Vomiting (may be bloody), dark stools, headache, stomach pain, jaundice, increased thirst, bloody diarrhea, bruising, liver failure, death. 1-2 seeds can be fatal.
Glycoside, Cycasin, B-methylamino-l-alanine, unidentified neurotoxin (cattle)
Medium
Seeds
Whole Plant Traits
Shrub
Poisonous
Houseplant
Broadleaf Evergreen
Multi-trunked
Rounded
Clumping
Slow
Low
Coarse
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
Moist
9a
9b
10a
10b
11a
11b
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Stem
Landscape
Drought Tolerant Garden
Drought
Deer
Dry Soil
Container
Houseplants
Coastal
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Zamia furfurcea Image Gallery
Zamia furfurcea Attributes
Zamia furfurcea: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Zamia furfurcea: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Zamia furfurcea Fruit
Zamia furfurcea: Fruit Description
No fruits, gymosperm.
Zamia furfurcea Flowers
Zamia furfurcea: Flower Description
Gymnosperms have no true flowers. It produces a rusty-brown cone in the center of the female plant. The egg-shaped female cones and smaller male cone clusters are produced on separate plants.
Zamia furfurcea Leaves
Zamia furfurcea: Leaf Description
Large compound leaves with 6-12 pairs of stiff fuzzy leaflets. Leaflets are 3-8 inches long and 1-2 inches wide. Upper third of leaves may have serrated margins. They grow in a spiral similar to palms.
Zamia furfurcea: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Zamia furfurcea: Leaf Color
Green
Zamia furfurcea: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Zamia furfurcea: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Zamia furfurcea: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Zamia furfurcea: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Zamia furfurcea: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Zamia furfurcea: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Zamia furfurcea: Leaf Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy
Zamia furfurcea: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Zamia furfurcea Poisonous to Humans
Zamia furfurcea: Poison Symptoms
Vomiting (may be bloody), dark stools, headache, stomach pain, jaundice, increased thirst, bloody diarrhea, bruising, liver failure, death. 1-2 seeds can be fatal.
Zamia furfurcea: Poison Toxic Principle
Glycoside, Cycasin, B-methylamino-l-alanine, unidentified neurotoxin (cattle)
Zamia furfurcea: Poison Severity
High
Low
Medium
Zamia furfurcea: Causes Contact Dermatitis
No
Yes
Zamia furfurcea: Poison Part
Bark
Flowers
Fruits
Leaves
Roots
Sap/Juice
Seeds
Stems
Zamia furfurcea Whole Plant Traits
Zamia furfurcea: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Zamia furfurcea: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Zamia furfurcea: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Zamia furfurcea: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Zamia furfurcea: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Zamia furfurcea: Texture
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Zamia furfurcea Cultural Conditions
Zamia furfurcea: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Zamia furfurcea: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Zamia furfurcea: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
10a
10b
11a
11b
9a
9b
Zamia furfurcea: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Zamia furfurcea Stem
Zamia furfurcea: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Zamia furfurcea Landscape
Zamia furfurcea: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Zamia furfurcea: Resistance To Challenges
Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind
Zamia furfurcea: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Zamia furfurcea: Problems
Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy
