"Cardboard Cactus" Identified: It's a Cycad (Zamia furfuracea)

Ann's "cardboard cactus" produced a new frond while older leaves browned and fell. The expert suspected a cycad—specifically Zamia furfuracea (cardboard palm)—a gymnosperm related to conifers and ferns, not a cactus.

Verification

Check this page for photos. Cycads have stiff, leathery leaflets with a cardboard texture, growing in a rosette from a central caudex.

Care Basics

• Bright light, well-draining soil.
• Water when top inch of soil is dry; reduce in winter.
• Slow-growing; old leaves naturally brown and drop as new ones emerge.
• Fertilize lightly in growing season.

If the plant matches, the leaf drop is likely normal seasonal turnover.