Plant library · cardboard-palm
Cardboard Palm
Zamia furfuracea
Toxic to cats and dogs
Not a true palm but a cycad, with stiff leaflets and a swollen underground stem. Water sparingly and give it as much light as you can.
Toxicity
Toxic Can be serious
Signs, in the ASPCA's words
Vomiting (may be bloody), dark stools, jaundice, increased thirst, bloody diarrhea, bruising, liver failure, death. 1-2 seeds can be fatal.
Toxic Can be serious
Signs, in the ASPCA's words
Vomiting (may be bloody), dark stools, jaundice, increased thirst, bloody diarrhea, bruising, liver failure, death. 1-2 seeds can be fatal.
Source — ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, toxic and non-toxic plant list; read from this species' own page
Pet-safety information is a general guide from the ASPCA's toxic-plant database and covers cats and dogs only. "If eaten" summarises the symptoms ASPCA lists for that plant; how an animal actually reacts depends on how much it ate and on the animal. It isn't exhaustive, isn't veterinary advice, and individual animals vary — never rely on it as the sole basis for a decision about your pet. If you think your pet has eaten a harmful plant, contact a vet immediately.
Care
- WaterEvery 10–14 days
- LightDirect sun
- HumidityLow humidity
- Temperature15–30 °C
The same interval the Sabz app schedules reminders from. In autumn and winter the app stretches it; see houseplants in autumn.
Common problems
- Yellowing, collapsing leaves — almost always overwatering — Overwatering →
- Stretched, widely spaced leaflets — not enough light
- Very slow growth — normal for a cycad, not a fault
In the app
Add a cardboard palm to Sabz and the watering interval above becomes a reminder, the toxicity verdict sits on the plant's own page, and when a leaf turns, the Check-up reads what you have actually logged to say why.
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