What plant is the sago palm? A complete guide in one article
The sago palm is also known as Fengweijiao, Bihuojao, Fengweisong, and so on. It is an evergreen palm-like woody plant of the genus Cycas in the family Cycadaceae. Because its trunk is as hard as wrought iron and it likes fertilizer containing iron, it got the name "iron tree" (tie shu). In addition, because its branches and leaves resemble a phoenix tail and its trunk resembles the trunk of a banana or pine, it is also called phoenix tail. It grows slowly and has a lifespan of more than 200 years. Each year it can put out a whorl of new leaves from the top of the stem.
The stem of the sago palm is 1 to 8 m high. The stem is cylindrical and unbranched. After the growing point is damaged, clustered buds can sprout below the wound, forming a multi-headed shape. The persistent leaf bases and leaf scars on the stem are scale-like. The leaves emerge from the top of the stem, are once-pinnately compound, 0.5 to 2.0 m long, thickly leathery and hard, with linear pinnae. The leaflets are linear, rolled inward when young, later spreading upward at an angle, slightly forming a “V” shape, with margins revolute downward, apex acute, undersides densely covered with rusty-colored hairs, and the basal leaflets becoming spine-like.
The sago palm is dioecious and flowers from June to August. The male cone is cylindrical; the microsporophylls are woody and densely covered with yellowish-brown hairs, with numerous pollen sacs borne on the back. The female cone is oblate; the megasporophylls are broadly ovate, with the upper part pinnately divided, and 2 to 4 exposed orthotropous ovules borne on both sides below. The seeds mature in December. The seeds are large, ovate and slightly flattened, red-brown or orange-red when ripe.
Flowering in the sago palm is often irregular and not easy to see, hence the saying "the iron tree blooms once in a thousand years," meaning it flowers rather rarely. Generally, old trees 15 to 20 years old can flower; if cultivated properly, they may also flower once every few years. In the south, when the growing environment is good, flowering can be seen every year, and the flowering period can last as long as 1 month. Generally, what opens from June to August is the male flower, and what opens from October to November is the female flower. It is dioecious, and the flowering periods are not consistent, so it is not easy to obtain seeds in the north.
The sago palm likes light and is slightly tolerant of semi-shade. It likes warmth and is not very cold-tolerant. It likes fertile, moist, slightly acidic soil, but it can also tolerate drought. It grows slowly, and plants more than 10 years old can flower. There are 17 species worldwide, distributed in tropical and subtropical regions such as eastern Asia, southeastern Asia, Oceania, and Madagascar. China has 8 species, produced in Taiwan, China, Guangdong, Hainan, Fujian, Guangxi, Yunnan, Sichuan, and other provinces and regions.
Plants of the genus Cycas have graceful tree forms and a vigorous, plain quality. Their large and beautiful leaves are densely green and terminal in all four seasons, with a unique ornamental effect. For example, when arranged in courtyards and large venues, they can achieve a solemn and dignified effect; when placed at the center of a flower bed, they give people a sense of tranquility; as a foil for ancient buildings, they appear old and vigorous; as a companion planting for modern buildings, their year-round dense green is pleasing to the eye and refreshing to the mind; and planted beside temples, they have the wonderful use of warding off evil.