Plants are characteristically thickset at their bases, tapering toward the apex, which gives them an unmistakable bottle-like appearance when mature. The stems are covered with warty tubercles (knob-like projections), from which spines protrude in a slightly downward direction. The spines are more abundant along the top half of the plant and decrease towards the base where tubercles are more prominent.
Scientific Name: Pachypodium namaquanum (Wyley ex Harv.) Welw.
Common Names: Elephant’s Trunk, Club Foot, Halfmens (Afrikaans for Semi-Human)
Synonyms: Adenium namaquanum (basionym)
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Apocynoideae
Tribe: Malouetieae
Genus: PACHYPODIUM
Origin:
Pachypodium namaquanum Native to Namibia, South Africa (Cape Province).
Hardiness:
USDA hardiness zone - 10b to 11b: from 40 °F (+4.4 °C) to 45 °F (+7.2 °C).
The flowers, which appear from July to September, are tubular, up to 50 mm long and 10 mm across at the mouth. They are red on the inside and yellow-green outside.
How to Grow and Care
Pachypodium namaquanum grows easily from seed as long as the seeds are fresh and without signs of parasitism. The silky-haired parachutes are removed prior to sowing. Seeds can be sown in the summer using a mixture of river sand and sifted compost or bark at a ratio of 1:1. After germination, care should be taken not to overwater as this encourages rot and fungal infestations. Keep plants well ventilated and in good light, and dry plants out in the dormant season which is summer (October to March).
Pachypodium namaquanum can also be grown from cuttings, although success is not guaranteed. Cuttings also take an extremely long time to show active growth. They should be taken in the period just before the growing season starts. The apex (tip of the shoot or leaf) of the stem which contains actively dividing cells is used and the wound is treated with a fungicide or flowers of sulphur and then left to dry for at least two weeks. Cuttings are inserted vertically into a well-drained, sandy medium.
The same medium used for germinating seeds can be used for cuttings. Cuttings are kept in a hot, well-lit and ventilated area, and watered sparingly in the winter months; once a week should be more than enough...
– Learn more at: How to Grow and Care Pachypodium
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| source pic:pinterest.com |
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| source pic:pinterest.com |
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