Encephalartos princeps, mature and dignified

This tall stem of an old Encephalartos princeps tree can be observed in the Pretoria National Botanical Garden. Far from its home in habitat (in the Eastern Cape that earned it the common name of Kei cycad), it seems to thrive in the adopted environment.

Some young leaves from stem tips brought about by suckers have given the plant young branches in its maturity. Stems are known to reach 3 m, so this one could add more height for children of current visitors to see in the future (Coates Palgrave, 2002).