Sago palm care guide

The sago palm is not a palm. It is a cycad, a plant family older than the dinosaurs. It has stiff, glossy, feather-shaped fronds on a thick, shaggy trunk, and it lives for decades. It is also one of the most dangerous plants to have in a home with pets.

Pet safety first

The ASPCA lists sago palm as toxic to cats and dogs. All parts are poisonous, and the seeds are the worst. Eating it can cause vomiting, bloody stools, liver failure, and death.

If you have a dog or cat that chews plants, this is not the plant for you. If a pet eats any part of a sago palm, call your vet or a pet poison line right away. Do not wait for symptoms.

Light

Give it bright light with some direct sun, such as a south or west window. It handles bright, indirect light too.

In low light, new fronds stretch long and weak.

Water

Water when the top 5 cm (2 in) of soil is dry. Water until it drains, then empty the saucer. In winter, water less.

Soggy soil rots the trunk. A soft trunk is a bad sign. Read how to tell if a houseplant is overwatered or underwatered.

Soil and potting

Use a fast-draining mix of potting soil with cactus mix or pumice.

It grows slow and likes a snug pot. Repot every three to four years in spring. Wear gloves. See how to repot a houseplant step by step.

Humidity and temperature

Average room air is fine. Keep it between 16 and 27°C (60 and 80°F). It can spend summer outside in sun. Bring it in before nights drop below 10°C (50°F).

Feeding

Feed two or three times in spring and summer with a palm fertilizer at half strength. Palm fertilizer has the manganese and magnesium sagos need.

New fronds

Sago palms grow a whole new crown of fronds at once, often only once a year. The new fronds are soft, pale, and fragile. Do not touch, move, or turn the plant while they harden. Bent new fronds stay bent.

Pruning

Cut fully brown fronds off near the trunk with clean pruners. Leave yellowing fronds until they are brown. The plant pulls nutrients back from them. Wear gloves. The tips are sharp.

Propagation

Older sagos grow pups at the base of the trunk. In spring, cut or twist one free. Let it dry for a week, then pot it in gritty mix. Roots grow slow, over a few months.

Problems

What you see	Most likely cause
Lower fronds yellow, one at a time	Normal aging
New fronds yellow and frizzled	Lack of manganese. Use palm fertilizer.
Many yellow fronds, wet soil	Too much water
Soft trunk	Rot
Long, weak new fronds	Not enough light
White or brown bumps on fronds	Scale

Pests

Scale is the main pest. It looks like small white or brown bumps on the fronds. Mealybugs can show up too.

Varieties

• King sago, Cycas revoluta, is the common houseplant.
• Queen sago, Cycas circinalis, has softer, longer fronds. It is just as toxic.
• Cardboard palm, Zamia furfuracea, is another cycad with stiff, wide leaflets. It is also toxic to pets.