Encephalartos humilis
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Encephalartos humilis faces severe pressure from illegal collection for the horticultural trade, where mature specimens command extremely high prices due to their rarity and slow growth rates. Wild populations are further threatened by habitat degradation from agricultural expansion and urban development in its limited coastal range. The species' extremely slow reproductive cycle, taking decades to reach maturity, makes recovery from population losses exceptionally difficult.
Habitat
This cycad species inhabits coastal grasslands and open woodlands in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, typically growing on well-drained sandy soils at low elevations. It occurs in areas with mild coastal climate conditions, often in association with other indigenous vegetation adapted to the region's Mediterranean-type climate.
