Encephalartos lehmannii 'Kirkwood form'

Encephalartos lehmannii 'Kirkwood form' is the named Kirkwood-area form of the Karoo cycad, valued for a more sweeping crown than the typical form. Its blue foliage and cycad structure make it a distinctive specimen for a sunny, dry-climate garden or a suitably large container. ## Form and setting The [Botanic Wonders profile](https://botanicwonders.com/journal/encephalartos-lehmannii) identifies the Kirkwood form as a variation from the Eastern Cape area of Kirkwood and notes its longer, more arched leaves. A botanical account in [The Cycads](https://uodiyala.edu.iq/uploads/PDF%20ELIBRARY%20UODIYALA/EL34/The%20Cycads.pdf) likewise describes a Kirkwood-area population with bowed leaves and longer leaflets. The parent species has blue leaves and naturally forms clumps; [PlantZAfrica](https://pza.sanbi.org/encephalartos-lehmannii) describes the Eastern Cape habitat as hot and semi-arid, with erratic summer rain. ## Siting Give the crown room to arch and choose full sun to partial shade with very sharp drainage. For the species, SANBI recommends neutral to alkaline soil; the grower profile reports success in containers as well as in the ground. ## Maintenance Protect the growing point and remove only fully dead foliage. Avoid persistently wet soil, especially around the caudex. The grower recommends regular feeding for cultivated plants; use a balanced fertilizer according to its label during active growth.