We've recently been working with suppliers who grow rare plants from throughout Africa. This has resulted in our importing the plants you see listed below. To give you an incentive to commit early, for a limited time, we are offering significant pre-import discounts on these plants. We have listed the plants below, including their size and prices. You will see that the prices at least 20% discounted from the prices at which we will sell them in our nursery, once they've been potted up. We also list the initial quantity available, prior to any purchases. If any of these plants interest you, please take the opportunity to reserve your plant by clicking on the "Order" button below. Encephalartos munchii (blue form) This is the extremely rare blue form of this plant from the Zembe Mountain region of Mozambique. The parent stock of these plants is among the bluest of the E. munchii plants that have come out of Mozambique. These are highly desirable plants. Encephalartos cerinus Encephalartos cerinus is among the rarest of the South African cycads. It maintains a waxen coating on its leaves and cones, unlike any other species of Encephalartos. Described in 1989, only 2 small colonies of this species were ever found, neither of which still exists. Encephalartos laevifolius Until now, we have never been able to get this rare cycad featuring silvery blue-green leaves and fine leaflets. It comes from 3 different restricted habitats in South Africa. It is considered rare and endangered. Encephalartos eugene maraisii This is the first described species among the blue-leaved cycads in Transvaal province, discovered by the writer and naturalist, Eugene Marais. It is native to South Africa and it is distinguished within this group of blue-leaved Transvaal species by its straight leaves which curve downward at the ends, entire (spineless) median leaflets. Encephalartos humilis This smaller cycad with very fine, grayish wooly leaflets comes from the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. It is heat and frost tolerant. Encephalartos caffer This extremely rare dwarf, subterranean stemmed cycad is the southernmost cycad species in South Africa. Its light green leaflets are often clustered on the leaf in a plumose fashion. It is rarely seen in gardens. Encephalartos princeps This plant is considered the rarest among the blue cycads from the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Encephalartos concinnus A rare plant from Zimbabwe and Mozambique, occuring in small colonies. It grows to 10 feet in trunk height, often producing multiple trunks and multiple branches. Its straight leaves are dark green in color, with a distinct blue accent for those plants growing in the shade. It grows in a hot, dry habitat. Encephalartos umbeluziensis This rare small cycad has a subterranean trunk and erect leaves up to 6 feet long. It belongs to the group including E. ngoyanus, E. cerinus and E. aplanatus, distinguished within this group by its long dark green leaves, spine-free petiole, well-spaced leaflets bearing 1-2 teeth on the lower margins, and lack of wool in the crown. It comes from Mozambique and Swaziland, in the valley of the Umbeluzi River. Update! We have just received two consignments of the following plants from overseas (see bottom of page for details): > Encephalartos horridus > Encephalartos friderici guilielmi > Encephalartos lehmannii > Encephalartos longifolius > Stangeria eriopus These plants are available for domestic purchase only. Encephalartos munchii Blue Form Seed-Grown Plants 3.25 Inch Caudex Seed-Grown Plants 7 Available Initially Click the photograph to see what a similar plant from this species looks like. EnceMunchBlueFormRegular price: $675.00Sale price: $625.00 Encephalartos munchii Blue Form Seed-Grown Plants 3 Inch Caudex Plants 7 Available Initially Click the photograph to see what a similar plant from this species looks like. EnceMunchBlueForm3.00Regular price: $585.00Sale price: $535.00 Encephalartos cerinus Plants 3 Inch Caudex Size Seed-Grown Plants 5 Available Initially Here is an example of what a garden plant of this species looks like. EnceCeri3Regular price: $575.00Sale price: $495.00 Encephalartos laevifolius Plants 1.25 Inch Caudex Size 10 Available Intially EnceLaev1.25$200.00 Encephalartos eugene maraisii The Waterburg Cycad 2 Inch Caudex Size Seed-Grown Plants 10 Available Initially EncEugMar2InchSpecRegular price: $550.00Sale price: $395.00 Encephalartos humilis Plants 5 Inch Caudex Size Only 1 Available EnceHumi2.5Regular price: $1,250.00Sale price: $995.00 Encephalartos concinnus The Elegant Cycad 3 Inch Caudex Size Seed-Grown Plants 8 Available Initially EnceConnSpecial3Regular price: $450.00Sale price: $395.00 Encephalartos concinnus The Elegant Cycad 3.25 Inch Caudex Size Seed-Grown Plants 9 Available Initially EnceConnSpecial3.25Regular price: $487.50Sale price: $243.75 Encephalartos concinnus The Elegant Cycad 3 1/2 Inch Caudex Size Seed-Grown Plants 8 Available Initially EnceConnSpecial3.5Regular price: $525.00Sale price: $345.00 Encephalartos umbeluziensis The Umbeluzi Cycad 2 1/2 Inch Caudex Size Seed-Grown Plants 10 Available Initially EnceUmbelSpecRegular price: $200.00Sale price: $175.00 Encephalartos friderici guilielmi Plants--Import Special The white-haired cycad grows in an exposed slope habitat in the mountains of the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. There, the summers are very hot and dry, while winters are very cold, with frosts and snow being common. This is a slow-growing, clumping medium sized cycad, growing to 12 feet tall over time. Its leaves are slightly erect, growing to 3-5 feet long, blue-silver-green, strongly keeled, with narrow spineless leaflets. Its stem has a wooly crown. This species produces more cones than most other species of Encephalartos. It. requires full sun, and very good drainage. Please note that most of these plants came in with their leaves clipped off, which should provide for easy re-establishment when you plant them. Encephalartos horridus Plants--Import Special Encephalartos horridus is the leading plant from the famous group of blue cycads from South Africa. Encephalartos horridus prefers full sun, in a very well drained soil. In habitat, it grows in open rocky areas, in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. A small-to-medium-sized cycad, it grows to 3 feet in trunk height, often forming a dense clump with multiple stems. Its hard, sharply pointed, blue-gray erect leaves are stunning in a garden setting. In the garden, it prefers a sunny location in very well drained soil. According to the Cycad Society of South Africa, E. horridus is very attractive amongst succulent plants, for example in a rockery, or may be used on its own as an accent plant or with low green shrubs to provide contrast. It is frost tolerant. Encephalartos horridus is distinguished from the similar E. trispinosus by its thorny lower leaflets and the brownish cones. Its leaves also tend to be more intensely blue. Also, E. horridus leaflets are twisted out of the plane of the leaf while E. trispinosus leaflets are relatively in line with the plane of the leaf. Encephalartos lehmannii Plants--Import Special This is the hardiest and most drought-resistant of the cycads of southern Africa. It is probably the bluest plant from the famous group of blue cycads from South Africa. This clumping, medium-sized plant grows to 6 ft. tall, with leaves up to 5 ft. long. The Karoo Cycad prefers full sun, in a very well drained soil. In habitat, it grows in sandstone slopes in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. It is frost tolerant. Encephalartos longifolius Plants--Import Special This is the classic dark green form of Encephalartos longifolius, a cycad native to the Eastern Cape region of South Africa. It has dark grey-green leaves. The mature form of this plant features entire leaflets arranged in a V-shape, which overlap at the end of the leaf. Mature forms of this plant grow trunks up to 12 feet tall. Leaves are 3-6 feet long, with leaflets arranged in a V shape, up to 8 inches long. Please note that most of these plants came in with their leaves clipped off, which should provide for easy re-establishment when you plant them. Stangeria eriopus Plants--Import Special Discovered in 1839, this plant was originally classified as a fern, but plants later found and sent to England by Dr. William Stanger produced cones. Realizing that a mistake had been made, the plant was renamed Stangeria in honor of Dr. Stanger. Stangeria is native to the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal provinces in South Africa, along a narrow strip of land along the Indian Ocean coast, where it is hot and humid during the summer, and cooler with occasional frost in the drier winter. Colonies of Stangeria grow in rocky coastal grassveld and shady inland forests, surviving annual grass fires in open areas. Though somewhat frost sensitive, Stangeria grows well under cultivation, producing luxuriant growth if raised in a moist shady environment. Stangeria produces a completely subterranean large tuberous stem and root system, with only the leaves and cones reaching above ground. As with other low-growing cycads, Stangeria has contractile roots, which pull the stem further underground as the stem grows upwards, and thus keeping the plant below ground. The stem may branch in some individuals, producing a one-plant “colony”. A healthy plant can grow up to four new leaves in its crown per year. In the wild, these leaves vary in size depending on habitat. Grassland, plants produce tough leaves 10-12 inches long, while forest plants may have up to 6 feet long, with softer and more flexible leaflets. Please note that most of these plants came in with their leaves clipped off, which should provide for easy re-establishment when you plant them.