Bonsai Beginnings: Cycas revoluta -King Sago Palm

"cabbage" shaped female cone

Easy care "living fossil", from the Far East that resembles a palm tree but is a cycad. They can be grown as a houseplant, anywhere with adequate bright light. Drought tolerant. Chronic over watering can kill the plant; do let the soil dry out. Repot in late winter and early spring when Sagos are dormant before they start getting their new summer leaves. Cycads prefer to be root bound and should be repotted into a container only slightly larger than the root system. If roots are trimmed for bonsai use, remove a comparable amount of lower leaves. Fertilize at one-third strength during the growing season. Sagos throw a new set of leaves during the Spring or Summer.

Sago Palms in Yoshino Park

Kagoshima City, Japan

1985

Small multi-head or multi-trunk sago palms are used as a subject for bonsai. The sago palm is native to Japan’s southernmost islands—a subtropical area of high rainfall and warm temperatures. A Processed starch known as sago is made from this and other cycads. When grown as a bonsai give ample root depth by picking a pot or container that is deep. The soil mix should be quick draining. Avoid overhead watering; this may cause rot and the total decay of the plant. The plants are quite cold hardy and can tolerate temperatures below 20° F. The Sago Palm has either male or female cones. New leaves emerge all at once and are very tender until they begin to harden several weeks later. Do not disturb or repot the plant during this process.

Toxicity