Sago Cycad of Japan

Among the most significant and historically important plants in the Botanical Garden of Palermo is a specimen of Cycas revoluta, a true “living fossil” whose origins date back to the age of the dinosaurs. This species has undergone very few changes over millions of years, surviving to the present day as a unique testimony to our planet's past.

Cycas revoluta was first introduced to Italy in 1780. However, the specimen we admire today in the Botanical Garden has a special history: it is the oldest plant of this species grown in open fields in Europe. It was planted in 1793, donated to the Garden by Queen Maria Carolina of Bourbon, making it one of the most precious and long-lived treasures in our collection.

Cycas revoluta is a dioecious plant, which means that there are male and female specimens. The male plants produce strobili, while the female plants develop cones containing ovules. When ripe, the seeds take on a characteristic orange colour. The plant can reach up to 5 metres in height and has an erect, cylindrical and sometimes branched stem, topped by an evergreen crown of stiff pinnate leaves that give it an elegant appearance.