cardboard plant indoors Zamia furfuracea – Cardboard Palm (Seeds)

Zamia furfuracea, commonly known as the Cardboard Palm or Cardboard Cycad, is a tropical plant native to the coastal regions of eastern Mexico. Despite its common name, it is not a true palm but a cycad, belonging to the Zamiaceae family. This plant is prized for its unique, leathery, and thick leaves that have a cardboard-like texture, giving it its common name.

The Cardboard Palm forms a low-growing, rosette-like structure, usually reaching heights of up to 1 meter (3 feet) with a similar spread. The leaves are pinnate, meaning they have a feather-like arrangement, and they emerge in a spiral from the central stem. The leaves are typically 60–120 cm (2–4 feet) long, with each leaflet being broad, ovate, and covered in a fine layer of fuzz.

Zamia furfuracea is a dioecious plant, meaning individual plants are either male or female. The male plants produce cylindrical cones, while the female plants produce larger, egg-shaped cones that can be quite striking. This plant is slow-growing and can live for many years, making it an excellent choice for containers or as a low-maintenance landscape plant in warm climates.