€37,10

🌱 Morphology
A semi-succulent and caudiciform tree, relatively fast-growing within the Pachypodium genus. It develops a thick, fleshy, bottle- or spindle-shaped trunk that can reach approximately 60 cm in diameter at the base. Adult specimens can reach several meters in height and develop a branched crown at the top.

The bark is grayish to silvery brown, and the branches are relatively short, thick, and spiny. The spines, approximately 1–1.5 cm long, appear associated with leaf scars.

The leaves are concentrated towards the ends of the branches. They are simple, narrowly oblong to lanceolate, bright green, with a marked midrib and a petiole that can reach about 6 cm. The plant is deciduous and can become completely bare during the unfavorable season.

The trunk and thickened roots constitute an important reserve of water and resources, allowing the plant to endure periods of drought.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Family Apocynaceae. It is endemic to Madagascar, with a natural distribution mainly in the north and west of the island. It is classified as a semi-succulent tree of seasonally dry tropical biomes.

It inhabits regions subjected to marked seasonality of rainfall and is part of the Malagasy xerophytic flora. Known populations include areas in the Befandriana-Nord region, where tree specimens several meters tall have been recorded.

The name Pachypodium comes from the Greek pachys, thick, and podos, foot, in reference to the thickened bases and stems characteristic of the genus.

❄️ Temperature
USDA Zone 10a–11b. It tolerates minimum temperatures of up to −1 ºC, as a reference point for acclimatized plants kept dry.

It is a species sensitive to frost. The Missouri Botanical Garden recommends its cultivation in USDA 10–11 and specifically points out its intolerance to cold and frost. During winter, it must be kept protected and with very dry substrate.

The combination of low temperatures and humidity in the root system especially increases the risk of damage and rot.

☀️ Lighting
Indicative DLI PAR: 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹.

It requires very high illumination and performs best with direct sun or extremely intense light. Insufficient lighting encourages shoot elongation and makes it difficult to form a compact structure.

Greenhouse specimens must be gradually acclimated to direct sun. In summer, it can be grown outdoors provided there is good air circulation and excellent drainage.

💧 Growth cycle and irrigation
Winter dormancy. It is a species of seasonally dry tropical climate, adapted to alternating periods of growth with phases of drought. During the active phase, it develops leaves and new shoots, while during the unfavorable period, it progressively loses its foliage and uses the reserves accumulated in the trunk and roots.

During active growth, it is recommended to water abundantly and let the substrate dry completely before the next watering. It should not be kept permanently moist.

When leaf drop begins, watering should be gradually reduced. Once completely deciduous and with low temperatures, it should be kept practically dry.

The total loss of leaves is part of its natural strategy against the unfavorable season and does not necessarily indicate a physiological problem.

🌸 Flowering
The flowers are large and very showy for a Pachypodium, approximately 7 cm in diameter, with a white corolla and yellow center. They are fragrant and resemble Plumeria flowers in appearance.

An especially interesting feature is that it can flower when the plant is completely devoid of leaves. The flowers appear grouped in compact terminal inflorescences, with approximately 3–30 flowers. Kew botanical records expressly document specimens without leaves at the time of flowering.

Natural flowering occurs mainly during the austral winter, although under cultivation in Spain, it may shift depending on temperature, the dormancy period, and lighting conditions.

🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, Desert CHOICE® Succulents is recommended, applied after watering. Before flowering, it can be supplemented with Desert CHOICE® Flowering.

It is not recommended to fertilize during the dormancy period or while the plant remains leafless and with reduced activity.

This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a technological square pot with substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.

12x12 cm gourmet black pot

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