E. trispinosus is one of the slower-growing cycad species but does well in cultivation and  will live to a great age provided it is positioned in a sunny situation which is well-drained. It can be used as an accent plant in rockeries, lawns and as a container plant. Ideal companion plants are low-growing aloes such as Aloe arborescens, Carpobrotus and Arctotis.

This species is not tall-growing, suckers freely and forms large, attractive, grey-leaved clumps. It is hardy, withstands frost and does not require a great deal of water.

Propagation of Encephalartos trispinosus can be achieved by sowing seed or by removing well-matured suckers from the mother plant. To produce true-to-type seed it is necessary to hand-pollinate the female cone with pollen harvested from a male cone of the same species. Germination ranges from 30-40%, on average. The seed is sown in spring on a bed of clean coarse sand which has bottom heat of 25-28º C. Within two months the seed germinates, producing a radicle followed by the leaves and 10 months later the seedlings are large enough to be removed and potted into 3-litre plastic sleeves, using a well-drained growing medium. The seedlings are watered sparingly until established.

Propagation by division involves removing well-developed suckers of approximately 250 mm in diameter from the mother plant. Early spring is an ideal time, when all leaves are removed from the sucker which is then carefully pulled away from the main stem. The sucker needs to be left for two weeks so that the wound can dry before planting in clean sand to encourage root development. Once well-rooted, the sucker can be planted out in the open ground.

Cycads require regular feeding. A thick layer of well-matured compost spread around the plant in autumn improves the condition of the soil and benefits the plants. An annual application of a well-balanced mixture of fertilizers applied in the spring is essential to maintain healthy cycads. A balanced inorganic fertilizer mixed with bonemeal and an organic fertilizer added is ideal.

The main pests which you may encounter when growing cycads are scale, mealy bugs and snout beetle. The scale and mealy bugs occur on the underside of the leaves and can be eliminated by applying a systemic insecticide. The snout beetles, which destroy the seeds, are nocturnal and can be eliminated by applying a contact insecticide.

New leaves, as they emerge, can also be damaged by a tiny mite. To prevent this damage, spray the new emerging leaves with a contact insecticide every two weeks. Regular spraying while new leaves are emerging will eventually eliminate the mite.