Sago Palm Facts
A centerpiece for a garden or a showy houseplant, there are few other ornamental palms that attract attention like the sago palm; facts on this plant, however, are important to know for many reasons.
The sago palm is actually not even a member of the palm family. Rather, it is a cycad; a plant with ancient origins that have really changed very little since the early days of dinosaurs roaming the earth. It can actually be referred to as a “living fossil” because of its long lived history. This is one of the most interesting sago palm facts; how many other plants in your garden or home can be called a fossil?
In popularity, the sago palm ranks high among houseplants and landscape plants. It is known to be the most propagated plant cycad in the world due to the great demand for this attractive, dark foliaged plant. A plant that is native to Japan, the sago palm has acclimated well to mild to moderately cold temperatures and so may do well outdoors in many U.S. locations. For areas that are too cold through the winter to grow the sago palm, facts that it does extremely well in containers will be encouraging.
One of the sago palm facts that many need to know is that the plant is an extremely slow growing one. Gaining just about an inch per year, it would take between 50 and 100 years for the sago palm to achieve their normal mature height of 20 feet or more. For this reason, the sago palm is an excellent container plant to be kept indoors.
When planting the sago palm, allow plenty of room for the root ball to grow and expand. In a container, choose a pot that appears too large for the plant. This will ensure that over the years the plant can easily grow. If it is desired that the sago palm be kept small, it can be kept in a smaller container which will serve to stunt its growth. Many people who harbor bonsai gardens find the sago palm to be a great choice because of the slow growth and the stunting capabilities. Referring to sago palm facts on growing, a bright and mostly sunny area inside is a better environment for the plant than a full sun location, which may result in sun spots forming on the dark green fronds.
In the outdoor garden, the sago palm will likely grow faster than one kept as an indoor houseplant although still maintaining its slow growth status. In the garden, a full to mostly sunny location is best to ensure full extension of the fronds, which at a mature age should measure around 3 to 4 feet long.
The most important of the sago palm facts is that it is a highly poisonous plant. As the popularity grows for the sago palm as a houseplant, so do the reports to animal poison control centers. The entire plant is a danger to dogs and cats alike; the fronds, the seeds, the bark and the offshoots can create such damage to these pets that death is likely to occur within just a few hours of ingesting any part of the plant. It is believed to be poisonous for humans as well.
Sago palm facts indicate that the beautiful ornamental plant is a great showy plant for either gardens or containers, but also that it poses a danger to small children and pets who may unknowingly chew on a part of the plant. Knowing all facts regarding the plant will keep everyone in the household safe while providing a lovely centerpiece.