Origin
Brazil
Light
Bright indirect
Watering
Weekly
Care
Expert
Flowering
Foliage
Encephalartos Woodii
With its crown of glossy fronds and prehistoric cycad bearing, Encephalartos Woodii is known as the loneliest plant in the world: not a single female exists.
Care Profile
A guide to ensuring your botanical companion thrives.
Origin
South Africa
Light
Full sun
Watering
Rarely
Maintenance
Expert
The loneliest plant in the world
Discovered in 1895 in South Africa's Ngoye Forest, the only Encephalartos Woodii ever found was male; no female has been seen since, and the species is extinct in the wild.
Every specimen alive on Earth today is a clone of that one individual — at once a priceless botanical treasure and a story of solitude without equal in nature.
"Encephalartos Woodii has been waiting for a partner for over a century."
01
Styling Tip 01
Full sun
Give it the brightest spot you have: strong exposure produces short, dense, well-held fronds.
02
Styling Tip 02
Perfect drainage
Plant in very free-draining soil and let it dry between waterings; its trunk rots in standing moisture.
03
Styling Tip 03
Very slow growth
It puts out only one crown of fronds every one to two years — a plant for the patient.
Similar plants
More botanical treasures to discover.
Origin
Australia
Light
Full sun to partial shade
Watering
Weekly
Care
Moderate
Flowering
Foliage