Pachypodium

The Pachypodium brevicaule is a small species

Pachypodium brevicaule // Image - Wikimedia / Stan Shebs

The Pachypodium They are shrubs, or trees depending on the species, that when you know them it is not uncommon for you to want to know more about them, since they not only produce generally aromatic and precious flowers, but unlike many other plants they resist drought very well and The high temperatures.

But, we are not going to deceive you, its maintenance is not very simple. This is so because excess moisture causes irreversible damage to them, to the point that, often, it is enough that we water them more than once for their roots to rot and, with them, the other parts of the specimens. So, next I am going to talk to you about this incredible botanical genre.

Origin and characteristics

The flowers of the Pachypodium are white

Our protagonists are trees and shrubs belonging to the genus Pachypodium, which is made up of about 25 species, all of them native to Africa, specifically Namibia, Angola and Madagascar. Their trunks and branches are covered by more or less thorns, which are short and sharp (but quite harmless to humans 😉) in which plants have water reserves.

The leaves are lanceolate, green, or dark green, and generally behave as expired. In habitats, and in climates that are tropical, they fall shortly before or shortly after the dry season begins; and in temperate climates they fall in autumn-winter, when the temperature drops below 10ºC.

Only adult specimens bloom, in spring. The flowers are grouped in white, yellow, reddish or pink inflorescences. And the fruit, called schizocarp, is dry, rounded, and with several small brown seeds inside.

Main species

The most popular are the following:

Pachypodium lamerei

View of the Pachypodium lamerei var. ramosum

Pachypodium lamerei var. ramosum

It is known as a palm or Madagascar palm, although it has nothing to do with palm trees. Grows to a height of 8-9 meters, with a thick trunk which can measure up to 90cm at the base. The leaves are a maximum of 40cm long, and sprout at the ends of the branches. Its flowers are white and large, about 8cm.

It is the most common and therefore the easiest to get.

Where to buy?

You can get it at nurseries and garden stores, as well as here:

No products found.

Pachypodium saundersii

View of the Pachypodium saundersii

It is a shrub native to southern Africa that grows to 1,5 meters, with highly branched stems armed with sharp thorns. The leaves are glossy dark green, and its flowers are white with pinkish tints.

Pachypodium geayi

The Pachypodium geayi is a succulent tree

Image - Wikimedia / Frank Vassen

It is a small tree very similar to P.lamerei, native to southwestern Madagascar. It can reach 10-11 meters in height, with a metallic gray trunk and greyish-green leaves. The flowers are white.

Pachypodium namaquanum

Pachypodium namaquanum, a slow growing plant

It is known as an elephant trunk, or half men in English. It is a shrub native to the North Cape of South Africa and southern Namibia. Develops a single trunk up to 4 meters high, from whose upper part greenish leaves sprout. It is on the CITES list of near threatened species.

What are the care they need?

Do you want to have a copy? Then we recommend you provide the following care:

Location

Pachypodium are plants that they need to be in an area where the sun hits them directly, so that whenever the weather is warm it is important to have them outside.

Now, if you have an interior patio, or a very bright room in which a lot of natural light enters, these places can also be a good place for these plants as long as they are away from both cold and warm drafts.

Earth

Both the soil in the garden and in the pot must have excellent drainage; In other words, when it is watered, it must be seen that the land is capable of absorbing and filtering water quickly. With this in mind, we recommend the following:

  • Garden: Sandy ground. If you do not have it, make a hole of about 50cm x 50cm (better if it is larger), cover it with shading mesh (on sale here) and fill it with medium grain pumice (on sale here).
  • Flower pot: fill with pumice. The use of peat, mulch, and similar substrates for these plants is not good, since it is difficult for them to root and, in addition, there is a risk that the roots will rot.

Irrigation

The trunk of the Pachypodium lamerei is spiny

Image - Wikimedia / Salicna

Irrigation must be rather scarce. The soil or substrate must be allowed to dry completely before watering again. During winter, and especially if there are frosts, the frequency will be less, every 15 to 20 days.

Do not put a plate under them or water over the top, as you could lose them.

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In spring and summer It is highly advisable to fertilize with a fertilizer for succulent plants (for sale here), following the indications specified on the product packaging.

Multiplication

The Pachypodium multiply by seeds and sometimes by cuttings in spring-summer.

Seeds

To get them to germinate, they have to be sown slightly buried in seedbeds with drainage holes, in a substrate such as vermiculite (for sale here) that maintains humidity but at the same time has good water filtration capacity.

These seedbeds they must be placed outside, in a bright area, and always kept slightly damp. Thus, if all goes well, they will germinate in about a month.

Cuttings

Multiplying them by cuttings is not very easy, but if you want to try, do it only with adult specimens, which measure at least two meters. Cut a branch that you see is healthy, let the wound dry for about seven days, and then plant it in a pot with a pumice. Finally water.

To have a greater chance of success, you can impregnate the base with homemade rooting agents or with rooting hormones (on sale No products found.).

Planting or transplanting time

In spring, when the minimum temperature rises above 15ºC. If you have them in a pot, transplant them every two years.

Plagues and diseases

They are sensitive to attack by aphids and, in humid environments, at mushrooms. The former are treated with diatomaceous earth, and the latter with powdered sulfur (for sale here) and controlling the risks.

Plant with powdery mildew
Related article:
What are the fungi that affect plants?

Rusticity

They do not resist cold or frost. He Pachypodium lamerei From experience I can tell you that it can withstand very weak and sporadic frosts of up to -2ºC if it has a dry substrate, but it lives better in warmer climates.

View of the Pachypodium brevicaule

Image - Wikimedia / lienyuan lee

What do you think of these plants?


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