Question
My wife, sue, has purchased a palm plant, but we have no details of its name. We need to know how to look after it, watering, feeding and whether it needs sunlight. It is about 18 inches high, has a broad short browny red trunk and a spur of 5 dark green leaves which are very spiny and firm. Please could you identify it for us. Three pictures sent by email.
Thanks for your help.
Sue and Bob Nowland
Sutton, Surrey, UK

Answer
Hi Bob,

Thanks for the photos. Your plant is called a Sago palm, although it is not actually in the Palm family. Its botanical name is Cycas revoluta. These are conifers that have existed on earth for some 250 million years. There is a living one in Japan that is believed to be more than 1000 years old. It is a native of Japan where it grows in thin, rocky island locations. Although they look like palms, they are not. Male plants produce cones that bear spores and female plants produce a seed-bearing crown. However, these reproductive parts are seen only on very mature plants usually grown in conservatories.

This plant likes bright indirect light and tolerates direct sun. It is not a good low light plant. It should be maintained in a small pot and the top quarter of the soil should dry out in between thorough waterings. It will grow in high or low humidity. Fertilize sparingly and only when it is growing actively. Occasionally Sago Palms are affected by scale insects and mealybugs. They can be propagated from offsets produced at the base of mature plants and from seeds.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

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