Cardboard Palm (Zamia furfuracea): Stiff, Textured Cycad for Containers

Cardboard palm (Zamia furfuracea) is a cycad (not a true palm) with stiff, leathery, olive-green leaflets that feel like cardboard—hence the name. The leaves radiate from a central, subterranean trunk, forming a low, spreading rosette.

Growth

Slow-growing to 3–4 feet tall and 6 feet wide over many years. It is dioecious; female plants produce rusty-brown cones with bright red seeds. Highly drought-tolerant and low-maintenance. All parts are toxic.

Culture

Full sun to part shade; well-drained soil. Water deeply but infrequently. Excellent in containers, rock gardens, or as a specimen in xeriscapes. Hardy in zones 9–11; protect from hard freezes.

Taxonomy

• Family: Zamiaceae
• Genus: Zamia
• Species: furfuracea