Darwin Cycad (Cycas armstrongii) male cone in Charles Darwin National Park near Darwin city, Northern Territory, Australia.
Cycas armstrongii, sometimes called Armstrong’s Cycad or Darwin Cycad, is a hardy, palm-like plant found mainly in the tropical Top End of the Northern Territory. Despite its resemblance to palms or ferns, it belongs to an ancient group of plants known as cycads, which have existed for over 200 million years—predating even the dinosaurs. This species typically grows with a stout, woody trunk topped by a crown of stiff, glossy green fronds. It’s incredibly resilient, thriving in open woodlands and grasslands that experience long dry seasons, intense heat, and seasonal fires. In fact, it has the remarkable ability to re-sprout after being burnt, a trait that helps it survive in its fire-prone environment.
Cycas armstrongii holds ecological and cultural significance in northern Australia. Its seeds contain toxins that make them inedible without careful processing, a skill Aboriginal people mastered by leaching and cooking them to remove the harmful compounds. The plant also plays a role in the local ecosystem by providing shelter and food for insects, and it supports certain butterfly species whose caterpillars feed on its leaves. While it’s locally common in the Darwin region, it’s protected under conservation laws due to threats from land clearing, illegal collection, and habitat disturbance.
Darwin Cycad (Cycas armstrongii) male cone in Charles Darwin National Park near Darwin city, Northern Territory, Australia.
Cycas armstrongii, sometimes called Armstrong’s Cycad or Darwin Cycad, is a hardy, palm-like plant found mainly in the tropical Top End of the Northern Territory. Despite its resemblance to palms or ferns, it belongs to an ancient group of plants known as cycads, which have existed for over 200 million years—predating even the dinosaurs. This species typically grows with a stout, woody trunk topped by a crown of stiff, glossy green fronds. It’s incredibly resilient, thriving in open woodlands and grasslands that experience long dry seasons, intense heat, and seasonal fires. In fact, it has the remarkable ability to re-sprout after being burnt, a trait that helps it survive in its fire-prone environment.
Cycas armstrongii holds ecological and cultural significance in northern Australia. Its seeds contain toxins that make them inedible without careful processing, a skill Aboriginal people mastered by leaching and cooking them to remove the harmful compounds. The plant also plays a role in the local ecosystem by providing shelter and food for insects, and it supports certain butterfly species whose caterpillars feed on its leaves. While it’s locally common in the Darwin region, it’s protected under conservation laws due to threats from land clearing, illegal collection, and habitat disturbance.