Stangeria

Stangeria is a genus with only one species, Stangeria eriopus. There are two forms of this species, the forest form and the grasslands form. There is a little controversy, whether or not these are two distinct forms, or plants growing differently in varied conditions. Stangeria was described as a fern for years until someone found a plant producing a cone. It was then described as a cycad. This plant grows better under conditions that you would think a fern would prefer, instead of what you typically think a cycad would prefer. They like the shade, and grow best under more humid conditions. The leaves are a bit more tropical in nature, so they would burn easily during a bad freeze, and should not be considered frost tolerant. They have an underground stem, so even when the leaves do get burned back, the plant can survive temperatures in the 20's. This plant can attain an 8 foot spread if grown correctly. The leaves are held fairly flat, so this would not be a very tall plant. Stangerias are beautiful plants and are well worth trying in the garden.