Tylecodon paniculatus | Butter tree
€95,40
🌱 Morphology
Botterboom. It is one of the largest Tylecodon species, capable of reaching around 2 m in height and developing a thick, caudiciform trunk that branches with age. The bark is distinctive, greenish-yellow to yellowish-brown in color, smooth and papery, peeling off in thin sheets. During winter, it develops fleshy, obovate to spatulate, yellowish-green leaves at the tips of its branches, arranged in a spiral. It is a summer-deciduous species: it loses its leaves at the beginning of the warm season and performs part of its photosynthesis through its green stems.
🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Family Crassulaceae. Its natural distribution extends from southwestern Namibia to the Cape provinces in South Africa. It inhabits arid and semi-arid regions, especially the Succulent Karoo, growing on rocky slopes and outcrops, although it displays considerable ecological breadth.
❄️ Temperature / USDA Zone: 9b–11b
It is a species adapted to cool, dry winters and hot summers during which it remains leafless. It tolerates significant drops in temperature when dry, but the combination of cold, humidity, and wet roots should be especially avoided. The USDA zone is a climatic reference and not a guarantee of survival against prolonged frosts.
☀️ Lighting
It requires very high light levels during its growth period, with a target of approximately 15–25 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ of PAR DLI. Excess shade results in longer, softer leaves and less robust stems.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
It is a winter-growing Tylecodon. Sprouting usually begins at the end of summer or during autumn, and the leaves develop throughout the winter and spring. During this period, it is recommended to water abundantly and allow the substrate to dry out completely before the next watering. As leaf loss and summer dormancy begin, watering should be gradually reduced until the plant is kept practically dry during the summer. The root system is relatively weak and shallow for the size of the plant, so a balanced substrate is essential.
🌸 Flowering
Flowering coincides with the end of the vegetative cycle, when the leaves begin to yellow and drop. It produces erect racemes on reddish floral stems, with tubular, pendulous flowers orange-red to red in color, measuring approximately 2 cm. In its natural habitat, it blooms mainly at the beginning of the austral summer, around November; in Spain, this may shift depending on temperature and cultivation conditions. The flowers are visited and pollinated by nectar-feeding birds.
🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, Desert CHOICE® Succulents is recommended, applied in moderation. It is not recommended to fertilize during summer dormancy. Before flowering, Desert CHOICE® Flowering can be used.
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a technological square pot, with substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.
In a 18x18 cm Gourmet Caudex pot
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