This week’s plant profile is the Dioon Edule…
There’s something so peaceful and relaxing about having plants inside your home. I love the look of plants tucked into the corners of a room, displayed on coffee tables and kitchen counters, and gracing bathroom vanities.
Plants help a room feel grounded.
I especially love unique plants. Plants that act as conversation starters, and not something you see everywhere you go.
I’m always on the look-out for unique plants, and with this new series on my blog, I’ll share my latest finds with you. Here’s the latest find…
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Dioon Edule
When I first spotted this plant, I knew it was one I’d like to add to my houseplant collection. The unusual form and leaf shape make this plant stand out among other plants – a definite conversation piece!
About the Plant
The Dioon edule (pronounced dy-OH-awn ED-you-lay) is also called a ‘chestnut dioon’. It is a cycad, which are some of the oldest known seed plants in the world (pre-dating the dinosaurs). The word ‘Dioon’ means ‘two-egged’ for the two ovules of this plant as you can see in the photos below.
The leaves of this plant are like a large feather, and are palm-like in appearance. They are a bright green and are almost glossy. The leaves grow from the center of the plant in a spiral pattern. They are stiff and grow upright, and are fairly flat. The length of the leaves vary with the age of the plant, reaching up to 40-inches in the wild.
This plant is a slow-growing plant. It grows to around 6 to 8-feet tall at maturity (up to 150-feet tall in the wild).
The Dioon edule produces either a male or female cone. The female cones are slightly larger than the male cones.
The Dioon edule prefers bright light, but can also grow in part shade. Water when the soil is dry, and make sure the soil allows for adequate drainage. Water more during the warmer, growing months – and less in the colder, Winter months. This plant can live up to 1,500 years – something you can grow now and hand-down to future generations.
This plant is native to Mexico.
The Dioon edule is a toxic plant. However, the seeds inside the cones are actually edible once they mature and are cooked.
Why I Love It
I really love that this species of plant has been around since before the dinosaurs – that makes it pretty cool. I also love the overall shape of the plant and its leaves – it’s almost like a living sculpture.
Where to Buy
I purchased this plant at DirtySucculents on Etsy for $30 bare-root (as shown).
If you have more suggestions for unique or unusual plants, please leave a comment below.
Click Houseplant Visual Index for a visual list of all my recommended houseplants.
For more unusual houseplants, visit my “Plants – Unusual and Unique” Pinterest board at
And for even more house plant ideas, visit my “Plants – Garden Room Decor” Pinterest board at
Pretty sure these plants a very toxic to animals at the very least and possibly humans. Maybe double check that info?
Thank you for your note Carji – I sincerely appreciate it!
You are correct – as a cycad, this plant is toxic if ingested. I have edited the text above to make this correction.
When creating these plant profile articles, I copy the previous article so I can use the same format, and I failed to make this change. Again – I appreciate you pointing this out, this would have been a terrible editing failure otherwise.