Cycads are a group of plants that can trace their origins back 200-300 hundreds of years. Although it would be incorrect to say that they are unchanged from those times, they do still retain characteristics and appereance of old ancestors as seen in fossiles. There are around 200 species of cycads, warm parts of the world.

Cycas taitungensis is belong to Cycadaceae family and a species of genus Cycas. It is native to Taitung County, south-eastern Taiwan. This species used to be widely known under the incorrect name Cycas taiwaniana, until it was properly described in 1994. Cycas taitungensis is one of the hardiest of the cycads. Native to a tiny area of Taiwan growing on rocky slopes, it is known as the Taiwan Sago Palm or Emperor Sago.

Emperor Sago was listed by the IUCN “Red List of Threatened Plants” in category “vulnerable” in 1997. The extent of occurrence is 65 km², the species is known from two locations and there is continuing decline in mature individuals due to invasion by Aulacaspis scale. So Cycas taitungensis warranted classification as “endangered” in 2010.

Emperor Sago is an evergreen tree with circular shape and leaves growing on top. It can grow up to about 5 m tall with a trunk to about 35 cm across. It may be superficially similar in form to the Cycas revoluta (Sago Palm), however Cycas taitungensis is a more vigorous grower than that, has leaflets that are longer, broader and flatter than its famous cousin. Female cones also tend to be more tightly imbricate and cabbage like, and seeds are darker in colour.

Emperor Sago is said to be the fastest grower of all the cycads. Also very cold tolerant, able to survive temperatures as low as -10 °C, grows well in full sun as well as partial shade. Leaves are deep green, semiglossy, 100-180 cm long, with 150-170 leaflets, with orange tomentum shedding as leaf expands, rachis usually terminated by a spine. The tree is dioecious. Male strobili is in fusiform shape, yellow, 40-50 cm long, and has triangle top, while female strobili is oval 20-30 cm long and has long, narrow red crevices on its megasporophyll. The seed of the tree is in oval or long circular shape, and turns rusty color when reaching maturity.

Cycas taitungensis can produce several flushes of leaves per year, it is much more than the common Cycas revoluta. Once a trunk forms, each flush of leaves adds some height, so trunked individuals are produced much sooner than with the Sago Palm. Emperor Sago is featured by fire-resistance, warmth-oriented, coldness-resistance, and it must be bathed in sunlight.

Propagation is done by seed. Although it is written in some books that it can be produced “dividing corms, bulbs or offsets”, we have not seen any offsets at our experience. Mealy bug and scale may trouble this plant. Control can be time consuming, but systemic insecticides work well. Aulacaspis yasumatsui is a scale insect and a pest towards Cycads, able to destroy the plant.

USE IN LANDSCAPE: Cycas taitungensis is going to be one of the most popular cycads in cultivation, in both temperate and tropical locations. Although at the moment, it is not known by many, because it is hard to get it in market. The seeds came to market first in 2000, Palmiye Merkezi is one of the first brought the seeds to Europea. We produce seed from our own seed grown parents in 2002, now this plant is two years old, as seen at photo. Emperor Sago can be used in rows, in groups or solitary, also it fits for pot culture.