this species grows on almost sheer granite faces and on rocky slopes, amongst tall grass in savanna. also occurs in dense evergreen montane forests. seedlings and small plants are absent from open habitats which may be as a result of too frequent fires, but under forest canopy, prolific regeneration occurs. the seeds are large and have a fleshy outer coat and are desirable to a range of animals. however the unpalatable seed is discarded some distance away from the parent plant in a hospitable environment in which to germinate. the seeds of "e. whitelockii" are an important food source for baboons. this species is not only pollinated by wind but also by insects or more specifically weevils. to attract pollinators, male and female cones produce powerful odours, usually in the early morning or evening. travelling between the sexes, the weevils pollinate the plants by inadvertently transferring pollen from the male cones to the receptive ovules of the female cones.