Image - Gabriele Kothe-Heinrich
If you have a small garden or terrace that needs plant life, you have to look for plants that can live well in those places. But that does not mean that you will have a stay with little variety, on the contrary. If you search well, you will find very interesting species such as Bencomia caudata.
This is a small tree or shrub that can be had both in the ground and planted in a pot, since it is very adaptable. Learn more.
Origin and characteristics
It is a small tree or evergreen shrub (it remains evergreen) native to the Canary Islands whose scientific name is Bencomia caudata. it is popularly known as bencomia, and grows to a height of 2 to 4 meters. Its trunk is straight and brittle, with a bark that falls off in plates. The leaves are compound, odd-pinnate and measure up to 30cm in length.
The flowers are grouped in hanging catkins, the male ones being yellowish and the female ones being somewhat pink. The fruit has a subglobose shape, is yellowish when ripe and measures 4-5mm in diameter.
What are their cares?
If you want to have a copy of Bencomia caudata, we recommend that you provide the following care:
- Location: it must be outside, in full sun or in semi-shade.
- Earth:
- Pot: universal growing substrate mixed with 30% perlite or akadama.
- Garden: grows in all types of soils, but prefers those that have good drainage.
- Irrigation: it has to be watered about 4 times a week in summer, and somewhat less often the rest of the year.
- Subscriber: in spring and summer with organic fertilizers once every 15-20 days.
- Multiplication: multiplies by seeds in spring. Direct sowing in spring.
- Rusticity: resists cold and frost down to -7ºC. It can live in hot tropical climates without problems.
What did you think of Bencomia caudata? Have you heard of her?