Encephalartos natalensis, the Natal cycad or giant cycad, is a species of cycad that is endemic to the Qumbu and Tabankulu areas of the northern part of the Eastern Cape, and through most of KwaZulu-Natal. The number of mature individuals of this species is declining and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being 'near threatened'.
The Natal cycad grows to a height of 6 m (20 ft) or more. It may have a single trunk or may be branched from the ...