A popular houseplant, Zamia furfuracea is a plant native to Veracruz State in Mexico.
Despite the common name of cardboard palm, the plant is a cycad.
Thus it is also often referred to as a cardboard palm cycad.
Other common names include:
- Cardboard sago
- Jamaican sago
- Mexican cycad
Cycad plants date back to the prehistoric era. This living fossil hails from the Zamiaceae family.
The cardboard palm has pinnate leaves, much like the palm tree. But they are more rounded and have thick, tuberous stems.
They grow close to the ground and produce a cone at the center of the plant.
The botanical name refers to the rusty-brown central cone. And sometimes, the scaly appearance of the trunk is caused by the loss of old growth.
Zamia Furfuracea Quick Care Tips
- Botanical Name: Zamia furfuracea
- Common Name(s): Cardboard Palm, Cardboard Cycad, Jamaican Sago, Cardboard sago, Cycad plants, Mexican cycad
- Synonyms: Zamia maritima, Zamia pumila
- Pronunciation: ZAM-ee-uh, fur-fur-AH-see-uh
- Family & Origin: Zamiaceae family, native to Veracruz State, Mexico
- Growability: Easy to grow
- Grow Zone: USDA zones 9-11
- Size: Can grow 3 to 4 ¼ feet tall and 6 1/2 feet wide
- Flowering: Rarely flowers indoors with no distinguishing fragrance
- Light: Thrives in bright, indirect light but can grow in full sun to partial sunlight
- Humidity: Low to average humidity levels
- Temperature: Prefers temperatures between 60° to 75°F
- Soil: Well-draining soil that has a slightly acidic pH of 6.0
- Water: Allow soil to dry out between watering, do not overwater
- Fertilizer: Fertilize once a month during the growing season with general palm food or slow-release fertilizer
- Pests & Diseases: Susceptible to Florida red plant scale, mealybugs, and spider mites, can also be affected by root rot and crown rot if overwatered
- Propagation: Propagate through seeds
- Plant Uses: An indoor or outdoor ornamental plant can also be used in xeriscaping.
Other Cycads You May Like:
Cardboard Palm Care and Gardening Tips
Zamia Plant Size and Growth
Cardboard palms are slow growing with similar growth habits to palms.
Each 20″ to 59″ inch leaf holds 6 to 12 stiff blue-green fuzzy leaflet pairs measuring roughly 3″ to 8″ inches long and 1 ¼” to 2″ inches wide.
The cardboard palm grows to about 3′ to 4 ¼’ feet tall and 6 1/2′ feet wide with a semi-succulent underground trunk designed to store water.
Flowering and Fragrance
Cardboard palm has no distinguishing fragrance and produces a cone instead of flowers.
The female zamia plant produces a large, egg-shaped cone, while the smaller male plant has a long, oval-shaped cone.
Insects usually perform pollination.
Once ripened, the female cone of the cardboard palm will break open to reveal bright red seeds approximately 1″ inch long.
The seeds have a very short viability period, making them difficult to propagate.
Light and Temperature
The cardboard palm requires bright light to grow properly.
Full sun benefits the plant best during its growing season and while young, but it can still thrive in partial sunlight.
Avoid areas with too much shade where the light is too dim to support the zamia plant’s needs.
When growing indoors, rotate your cardboard palm so it can grow evenly.
While the cardboard palm may be grown outdoors year-round, it’s a subtropical plant and won’t fare well against extreme cold.
Thus, it should be restricted to indoor settings outside USDA hardiness zones 9b to 11.
Ideal temperatures range from 60° to 75° degrees Fahrenheit (15° – 24° C), although the plant can survive around 15° degrees Fahrenheit beyond this.
Watering and Feeding
- As with many plants, the amount of watering will vary depending on the time of year.
- During the growing season, the soil should be slightly moist.
- Reduce this during the winter.
- As the trunk is used to store water, allow the top inch of soil to dry out before needing to water again.
- Be careful not to overwater, as it increases the risk of root rot.
- Feed the plant using general palm food or slow-release fertilizer.
- Feed the plant at the beginning of spring and autumn.
Soil and Transplanting
Cardboard palms prefer well-drained, sandy potting mix. A slightly acidic pH of 6.0 is perfect for this plant.
Choose to mix with equal parts of peat moss and sharp sand or stick with a good, well-draining potting mix for indoor use.
Potted palms must be transplanted to a new pot when the plant begins looking crowded, or the soil has been exhausted.
The process is relatively simple whether you move to a pot or an outdoor setting.
Remove the soil from the plant and lift it out of the pot.
Knock away any remaining soil to ensure the roots will get fresh food.
Then, place the plant into a new pot with drainage holes or in the ground and backfill with fresh potting soil.
Zamia Plant Grooming and Maintenance
Cardboard cycad is very low-maintenance when given the right amount of bright light and room to grow.
It also thrives in low to average humidity levels.
Likewise, the plant doesn’t require frequent grooming, with dying leaves being removed as needed.
How To Propagate Zamia Furfuracea
Propagation of zamia plant is very difficult as the seeds have a short viability period, and you may not know the sex of the plant upon purchasing.
However, it is not impossible once you verify you have a female plant, and it goes to seed.
Harvest the seeds and separate them on a paper towel. Plant the individual seeds as soon as possible in moist sand-filled flats.
Keep the flats in a room with a temperature of 65° degrees Fahrenheit (18° C) or higher and partial sunlight.
Keep the sand moist and restrict the young plants to moderate sunlight to avoid damaging the fronds.
The plant may be transferred to a pot once the second set of true leaves has appeared and the roots are robust.
Cardboard Palm Plant Pest or Diseases
Cardboard palm is highly susceptible to Florida red plant scale, which can kill the plant if not treated.
- Too much moisture can cause various forms of rot in this cycad native from eastern Mexico.
- Crown rot is especially deadly once spores cover the crown.
- Spider mites are a common pest for this species.
This plant and seeds are highly toxic to both humans and pets if ingested.
Dehydration sets in rapidly soon after ingestion.
The toxicity causes liver and kidney failure and eventual paralysis.
There’s no known treatment or cure for cases of poisoning from this plant.
Suggested Cardboard Palm Uses
While they’re preferred as houseplants, cardboard palms are built drought-tolerant and make perfect additions to xeriscape gardens.