Plant care
Breadtreetemperature & humidity
Encephalartos caffer
More about breadtree
Ideal temperature for breadtree
Breadtree is comfortable in any room a person is comfortable in, roughly 5–35°C (41–95°F). The mistakes are micro-climates: a north-facing window on a frosty night, a south-facing windowsill in a summer heatwave, the standing draught between an opened kitchen door and the radiator behind it. Read the room around the plant, not the thermostat. Below roughly 5°C the damage starts — soft blackened patches, translucent leaves, sometimes overnight.
Cold tolerance & winter care
Breadtree is frost-tender (USDA 9–11, RHS H2). It cannot survive a frost, so in most of the US and UK it lives indoors year-round or summers outside and comes back in well before the first autumn frost — once nights drop toward 10-12°C is the cue, not the first frost warning. Acclimate it over a week when moving between indoors and out so the leaves do not shock.
Humidity for breadtree
Breadtree sits happiest at around 30–60% relative humidity. Tolerates low humidity typical of dry grassland environments. No misting required. Average indoor ambient humidity is perfectly adequate. Excess humidity without good airflow can promote fungal problems at the crown. The usual low-humidity tell is crisp brown leaf tips and edges while the soil moisture is fine — a sign the air, not the watering, is the problem. If you need to raise it, the reliable methods are grouping plants together, standing the pot on a tray of damp pebbles (the pot above the waterline, never in it), or running a small humidifier in winter when indoor heating dries the air most. Misting is the least effective — it raises humidity for minutes, not hours.
Breadtree temperature & humidity — frequently asked questions
What temperature is best for breadtree?
Breadtree grows best between 5–35°C (41–95°F). Keep it out of cold draughts, off freezing windowsills in winter, and away from the hot dry air directly above radiators — the extremes matter far more than the average room temperature.
How cold can breadtree tolerate?
Breadtree starts to suffer below roughly 5°C. It is frost-tender and will be damaged or killed by a frost, so bring it indoors once nights fall toward 10-12°C.
What humidity does breadtree need?
Breadtree prefers about 30–60% relative humidity. Tolerates low humidity typical of dry grassland environments. No misting required. Average indoor ambient humidity is perfectly adequate. Excess humidity without good airflow can promote fungal problems at the crown.
How do I raise humidity for breadtree?
Group it with other plants, stand the pot on a tray of damp pebbles (kept above the waterline), or run a small humidifier in winter. Misting only helps for a few minutes, so it is the weakest option for a plant that genuinely needs more humidity.
Can breadtree live outside?
Breadtree is rated for USDA zone 9–11 and RHS hardiness H2. Outside that range it must come indoors before the first frost — treat any outdoor stint as a summer holiday, not a permanent home.
More breadtree care
In the UK? Keeping breadtree warm in a UK home covers the radiator, single-glazing and heating-season humidity angle. Temperature and humidity are one piece. See the full breadtree care guide, its cold-hardiness guide, and watering schedule — humidity and watering problems are easy to confuse.