How long does it take a sago palm to bloom?

The sago palm takes 15 to 20 years to bloom. The appearance of the bloom differs depending upon whether the plant is male or female. Males have a cone-like structure, while female blooms look like round fuzzy balls.

Male sago palms may produce more than one bloom at a time. These structures can be cut if no female plant is available for pollination. Cones open in late spring, allowing pollen to be spread to the female plant. The female plant contains seeds that are orange in color and about the same size as a walnut. Without pollination from the male sago palm, the seeds are not viable.