Sago palm

About the plant

Although known as sago palm, this isn’t a palm but actually a cycad. This cycad is native to Japan and the Ryukyu Islands.

Least concern

The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species uses a set of criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of the world’s species. The ongoing mission is to evaluate every plant species in the world.

IUCN Red List Status:

Not yet evaluated

Data deficient

Least concern

Near threatened

Vulnerable

Endangered

Critically endangered

Extinct in the wild

Extinct
Animal food

Plant is used as fodder to feed farm animals
Human food

Plant supplies food for humans
Poison

Plant is poisonous to humans

Click on icon to reveal more

Facts

Exploited for horticulture trade
Widely cultivated
Stems, roots and seed used for bread

New growth on a sago palm
By Andreanna Moya via flickr, CC BY 2.0

*Cycas revoluta* on the Ryukyu Islands
Tim Utteridge © RBG Kew

*Cycas revoluta*
By Tatters via flickr, CC BY 2.0

*Cycas revoluta*
By meknits via flickr, CC BY 2.0

Female cone of the sago palm
By Nadia Prigoda-Lee via flickr, CC BY 2.0

*Cycas revoluta* at Myokokuji Temple, Japan
Photo taken 1903 via Wikimedia Commons

Keeping out of harm’s way

Cycas revoluta can be found only on steep limestone cliffs. Here it is naturally protected as the cliffs remain relatively untouched, being difficult to access and undesirable for development or agriculture.

Lytico-bodig disease

This neurological disease was once the leading cause of death among the Chamorro people on Guam. It has symptoms similar to Parkinsons and Alzheimers disease.

Some believe that the local fruit bats fed on cycads (Cycas micronesica) which contain BMAA, a known neurotoxin. When humans ate these bats, these toxins were passed on. Incidence of the disease has declined as bats numbers have fallen.

There's a sago palm at Myokokuji Temple in Japan thought to be over 1,100 years old

Least concern

The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species uses a set of criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of the world’s species. The ongoing mission is to evaluate every plant species in the world.

IUCN Red List Status:

Not yet evaluated

Data deficient

Least concern

Near threatened

Vulnerable

Endangered

Critically endangered

Extinct in the wild

Extinct
Animal food

Plant is used as fodder to feed farm animals
Human food

Plant supplies food for humans
Poison

Plant is poisonous to humans

Click on icon to reveal more

There's a sago palm at Myokokuji Temple in Japan thought to be over 1,100 years old

Where to find this plant

Temperate House

Home to 1,500 plant species from temperate regions around the world.

Asia: Temperate Region

Asia has a complex and varied topography, with the tallest mountains and the deepest valleys. It has about 100,000 plant species.