Cycad Collection

The cycad collection in the Durban Botanic Gardens is undoubtedly one of the world's finest - in terms of size and age of the specimens, the number of plants and the diversity of the collection. The central core of the collection consist of an extensive representation of the African cycad genus Encephalartos, and this is complemented by a selected range of exotic cycads.

Perhaps the most significant cycad in the collection, is the Gardens' emblem, Wood's cycad or Encephalartos woodii. The Gardens most renowned curator, Dr John Medley Wood (1882-1903) was responsible for much of the exploration and description of the local KwaZulu-Natal flora. But perhaps he will be best remembered for the discovery of the cycad that bears his name.

In 1991 a Cycad Advisory Group was set up and the cycad collection was re-organised into a more scientifically-based and more accessible series of geographical groupings of specimens. The cycads in the gardens have been planted according to their geographical distribution. This re-organisation was done over the winters of 1992 and 1993 with the establishment of separate Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, central African, Australian, Asian and meso-American cycad zones.

Please contact Chris Dalzell dallzelc@durban.gov.za for more information on the Cycad collection.