# My Pachypodiums and other Caudiciforms



## Smotzer (Feb 19, 2020)

Hey everyone I wanted to make a thread for some of my caudiciforms and my pachypodiums that I have grown from seed. If anyone here has any caudiciforms here feel free to post on here. I want a thread for all things caudiciform! And cacti and succulents too!

I entered into school to get my degree in horticulture about 9 years ago and one of the first classes I had to take was plant propagation, and I chose to do my semester long project on pachypodiums and adeniums. Here is the culmination of anywhere up to 8-9 years (some less) of growing these wonderfully bizarre caudiciforms I love so much. I recently moved some of them out of the greenhouse where they have lived their entire lives, in preparation to take them on a 1500mi journey back to my home state of Texas. I unfortunately could not take my entire seed grown collection with me, but I certainly took a good deal. 

Most of them are in dormancy which is why they have no leaves (no they are not dead lol) but the dormancy period is one of the best times to appreciate all their individually unique caudices!! But as they push out there new leaves this spring, or flower this year I will post updates!

I think I will start with my pachypodiums first, then move onto adeniums, then some Euphorbias, then some Crassula, then a few senecio species( they’re not the best specimens anymore I let students propagate off of them). Hope all you enjoy what I have in my seed grown caudiciform collection!!


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## Smotzer (Feb 19, 2020)

Up first is probably the most impressive growers from seed and the first specimen is on a whole nother level, it’s put on some massive size in just the last few years. Well here they are Pachypodium saundersii!!!

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## Smotzer (Feb 19, 2020)

P. saundersii var. compacta ( will note the first one does not look as much like var.  compacta because it got moved to a part of the greenhouse that got less direct light and began to go through some etiolation. And it developed a rot in the side of its caudex, I feared I would loose it but after a few months it healed and began putting on size again! Made me happy because this was my very first pachypodium I ever grew from seed, and so badly didn’t want to loose it. 



Just started to push out!!

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## Smotzer (Feb 19, 2020)

Here’s what’s probably my favorite species in this genus, _Pachypodium rosulatum gracilius_ (sometimes just called P. gracilius) I cant wait for them to show they’re mature form, they’re just starting to get into and out of there juvenile stage. The first one bloomed this year, and the second just started to push out flowering stalks this week! Very exciting.

They’re about 7-8 yrs old, and have a little different growth rates between the two individuals. Excuse the yellow leaves they are sensitive to environmental changes and will often go into dormancy with temp and humidity fluctuations, I believe he’s about to go dormant

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## Smotzer (Feb 19, 2020)

Here’s a closely related species to the gracilius, _Pachypodium cactipes. _This is a truly beautiful specimen of mine, not an impressive caudex but amazing branching. And its true to type with these pictures of this species, Which with pachypodiums is not always true, individuals grown from seed have a lot of variation in form between them.

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## Smotzer (Feb 19, 2020)

Next up is my only two surviving _Pachypodium densiflorum! _They are around 7 years old and are so slow growing, but truly unique! 
	

		
			
		

		
	



Put on some size since the last photo

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## Smotzer (Feb 19, 2020)

Next is what I am pretty sure is _Pachyodium cf. eburneum, I _am just waiting for it to flower, whenever if feels the time is right, so I can get a positive ID on it.

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## jrh3 (Feb 19, 2020)

Will these survive as indoor plants with widow lighting? I saw you had a greenhouse. My wife has been wanting to get a greenhouse for our back yard. They are very interesting by the looks of them.


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## Smotzer (Feb 19, 2020)

jrh3 said:


> Will these survive as indoor plants with widow lighting? I saw you had a greenhouse. My wife has been wanting to get a greenhouse for our back yard. They are very interesting by the looks of them.


They can, the Pachypodium cactipes of mine has lived most its entire life on my various window sills. but when they live in doors you have to very sparingly water them. Like it seems like when they are indoors you rarely water them. They can be prone to root rot indoors with lower temperatures and too much water.
But they will definitely do better and put on size faster in a greenhouse, and have less etiolation.

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## Smotzer (Feb 19, 2020)

For the longest time I had this labeled as _Pachypodium densiflorum var. brevicaulx _but this year it flowered and the flower came out a almost white/light yellow. So I’m still undecided on what to call this, seedling/juv. Stages look very similar with  the straight P. eburneum, so it is likely _Pachypodium eburneum. _The next post is the one I’m still calling brevicaulx( out of hope that I have at least one of theSe species

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## Smotzer (Feb 19, 2020)

Presumed _Pachypodium densiflorum var. brevicaulx. _

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## Smotzer (Feb 19, 2020)

@jrh3 and if you do keep them indoors they need to be planted in like 90% small crushed up rock, like red lava rock. What I personally use for my all pachypodiums

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## Smotzer (Feb 19, 2020)

Definitely the thorniest of the lot the Pachypodium lamerei  (the tall awesome ones)

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## jrh3 (Feb 19, 2020)

@Smotzer Does your green house hold temps pretty well? Or do you use a heat source for them in winter?


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## Smotzer (Feb 19, 2020)

jrh3 said:


> @Smotzer Does your green house hold temps pretty well? Or do you use a heat source for them in winter?


It does hold heat pretty well, sometimes it gets a little cooler than I would like, but I’ve never ran into any major problems. I have had to run a space heater a few times. But if you build it right and winterize it you should have no problem. But I’m not sure where you live and how cold it gets in the winter where you are


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## jrh3 (Feb 19, 2020)

Smotzer said:


> It does hold heat pretty well, sometimes it gets a little cooler than I would like, but I’ve never ran into any major problems. I have had to run a space heater a few times. But if you build it right and winterize it you should have no problem. But I’m not sure where you live and how cold it gets in the winter where you are


Im in Alabama and this year we have only had 2to 5 days below freezing in my area. Very mild winter this year. Today 63 was the high and 53 the low.


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## Smotzer (Feb 19, 2020)

jrh3 said:


> Im in Alabama and this year we have only had 2to 5 days below freezing in my area. Very mild winter this year. Today 63 was the high and 53 the low.


Oh then it’ll be really good In your area, my greenhouse was in New Jersey. Your temps will be pretty ideal for growth in the winter with those temps.

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## jrh3 (Feb 19, 2020)

Smotzer said:


> Oh then it’ll be really good In your area, my greenhouse was in New Jersey. Your temps will be pretty ideal for growth in the winter with those temps.


Not sure what we will grow in it yet but I know my wife was wanting to build one.


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## Smotzer (Feb 19, 2020)

jrh3 said:


> Not sure what we will grow in it yet but I know my wife was wanting to build one.


In Alabama you'll likely have to put in some cooling measure, possibly a fan system for the summer though. I'm looking at building one when I move back to Texas, within a couple years and its definitely going to have a cooling system in it when I get to that point.

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## jrh3 (Feb 19, 2020)

That should be easy, set it up like a chicken barn, they have fans to blow air through them


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## Smotzer (Feb 19, 2020)

jrh3 said:


> That should be easy, set it up like a chicken barn, they have fans to blow air through them


exactly!!


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## Smotzer (Feb 19, 2020)

@jrh3 and as far as plants go I highly reccomend any of these species, or just cacti and succlents in general (which i'll post some more of those on here), theres such a wide array of different types of plants in these sections, theres always something new to try and grow and become fascinated with .

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## Smotzer (Feb 19, 2020)

I think next I’ll move into one of the jewels collection my only _Euphorbia esculenta_! and for the first time( unless I missed it) it bloomed this year!

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## Smotzer (Feb 19, 2020)

Here’s Euphorbia poisonii, like all the Euphobias I’ve attempted to grow from seed they were pretty difficult to get conditions right for germination. Not the best looking guys but still a cool species. This seems to be a spinier version of this species

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## Smotzer (Feb 19, 2020)

A poor looking grafted _Euphorbia unispina_ I did.

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## Smotzer (Feb 19, 2020)

Here’s _Adenium obesum 
	

		
			
		

		
	


_

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## Smotzer (Feb 20, 2020)

Next are my _Adenium arabicum_ which are literally just as old as the _A. obesum_ posted above, but no where near the same size. Soooo slow growing!!

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## jrh3 (Feb 20, 2020)

Do you have an online shop your prefer ? Or just get them locally?


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## Smotzer (Feb 20, 2020)

@jrh3 Well all of these, with a few to come exceptions, are all seed grown. I get my seeds from a grower who also goes collecting in Africa and Madagascar. Pachypodium seeds are hard to come by, but if you would like some when I place an order, which I plan on soon, I would be happy to include stuff you wanted and then ship it to you. What species are you maybe wanting? If theres anything you want Id also be happy to root around in the succulent world and people i know to see if i can track something down for you!!
I dont know of anywhere locally to get these plants or seeds.

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## jrh3 (Feb 20, 2020)

Smotzer said:


> @jrh3 Well all of these, with a few to come exceptions, are all seed grown. I get my seeds from a grower who also goes collecting in Africa and Madagascar. Pachypodium seeds are hard to come by, but if you would like some when I place an order, which I plan on soon, I would be happy to include stuff you wanted and then ship it to you. What species are you maybe wanting? If theres anything you want Id also be happy to root around in the succulent world and people i know to see if i can track something down for you!!
> I dont know of anywhere locally to get these plants or seeds.


Let me do some research first, I will let you know. Want to do a little studying up on the different ones.


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## Smotzer (Feb 20, 2020)

If you have any questions feel free to just ask them here! Ive been really succusful with growing and keeping them over the last almost decade. 

and im going to post a few more species tonight

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## jrh3 (Feb 20, 2020)

Have you ever tried growing Adansonia grandidieri? I know they are trees but they sure look interesting.


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## Smotzer (Feb 20, 2020)

Gandidier’s boabab!! I actually have tried growing then but I did not prepare the seeds the right way, and only had one germinate and it didn’t survive. At the time I couldn’t find much information, but since have found out what to do correctly. If you plan to try and grow them, you need to clean the seed well, if it’s not already cleaned, then you need to hot water scarify the seeds, simply place them in really hot but not boiling water and allow them to cool down and soak for 24hrs or more. And then plant them shallowly, in a well drained mixture, some peat, sand, and crushed stone, and then coverthem with sand lightly and water them occasionally till they germinate. Could be a couple weeks till that happens.

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## Smotzer (Feb 20, 2020)

@jrh3 I just asked around, and there are a few places you can get _Adansonia sp_. seeds, A. digitata is what is the most common, I would be hard pressed to believe if you ordered A. grandidieri off something like amazon that it would actually be that and not A. digitata. Also my friend currently has Pachypodium rosulatum subsp. gracilius right now, and a subsp. of P. lamerei, and P. gaeyi. And I can defintely get you Adenium obesum seeds.


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## Smotzer (Feb 20, 2020)

I think next I’ll share my specimen Crassula species with y’all, both were gifts from my old greenhouse professor at school. Up first is my probably 10-15yr _Crassula ovata ’Gollum’ _ that I have been selectively branch training, as well as cascade training for the 8yrs

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## Smotzer (Feb 20, 2020)

Now here’s an old jade! My straight _Crassula ovata_. My old greenhouse teacher had been there for 19year prior to when I met her and she gifted this to me. 7yrs have passed since then. So it’s at least 26 yrs old. You’ll see a big scar in it, there used to be a giant leader growing straight up that was about 3ft tall amd full of branching, but it rotted out, as a project, how I got the plant, I removed the whole top and cleaned out the entire middle of the trunk. Today many years later that holes had completely healed over. now I’ve just been letting it grow and re-establish. It’s trunk is larger than my hand wrapped around the trunk, my fingers do not touch!!

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## Smotzer (Feb 21, 2020)

_Dioscorea elephantipes_ was a really fun plant to grow from seed and watch the caudices grow and get that awesome look! They come from South Africa and it is said that if cared for some can live around 70 years!!

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## Smotzer (Feb 21, 2020)

@jrh3 the above mentioned_ Dioscorea elephantipes_ can be grown indoors, and makes an attractive house plant, can live inside year round, or you can move it outisde in the summers, but if you do it may go dormant for a period of time when you move it in during the winters! fairly easy to grow from seed, and just needs to be watered with fertilizer when you water, with a good fast draining soil.


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## pannaking22 (Feb 24, 2020)

That _D. elephantipes _is incredible! What lighting requirements does it have? Might have to try my hand with a few seeds if they're pretty straightforward.


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## Leila (Mar 6, 2020)

Smotzer said:


> Definitely the thorniest of the lot the Pachypodium lamerei  (the tall awesome ones)
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Oh wow! These are beautiful


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## Smotzer (Mar 6, 2020)

Leila said:


> Oh wow! These are beautiful


Thank you very much!! Have a favorite out of some of these?


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## pannaking22 (Mar 6, 2020)

I've got some seeds coming in the next week, so I'm excited to try to get them to grow! _Adenium obesum _and _Dioscorea elephantipes_. Any recommendations to get them going @Smotzer?


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## Leila (Mar 6, 2020)

@Smotzer 
Definitely the Pachypodium lamerei and the Crassula ovata


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## Smotzer (Mar 6, 2020)

pannaking22 said:


> I've got some seeds coming in the next week, so I'm excited to try to get them to grow! _Adenium obesum _and _Dioscorea elephantipes_. Any recommendations to get them going @Smotzer?


Congrats!! What type of Adenium Obesum seeds did you get? Did you get straight obesum? Or a variety or subspecies  like somalense?

you picked two good species to start with that are pretty easy to start from seed! They both will need just about the same care which is good fast draining soil mix, might want to mix peat, perlite, and some coarse grain sand. Lava if you can get it. But no more than 50% peat. Should be able to find all of those at somewhere like Home Depot. The lava you’ll likely have to order. And then keep them warm, moist, and with high humidity, until they come up. This can easily be achieved by getting one of the germination flats that comes with a plastic lid.
Here’s an example 
	

		
			
		

		
	




that picture uses a deeper tray which can be nice to not have to repot them quite as fast when they are seedlings and getting established. Or you can spread the seeds all in it without the individual trays or and just let them come up all together. I believe I did this for one round of Adenium. Then place this near a window that gets sunlight to get the temps up.

both of these seeds need to be sown flat/ horizontally. For the Adenium very lightly cover them with soil and don’t push them in just cover them with a centimeter or two of peat sand mix, very lightly cover them. Resist the temptation to plant them deep or press them into the soil! Dioscorea can be planted a little deeper but I wouldnt go more than an inch down. I’d do about the same as the Adenium though.

Also note with D. elephantipes I have seen people start these just straight in small pots so not to repot them until way down the line But this can keep the soil too wet, if using not a fast enough draining mix. So if you do this I recommend planting in a VERY porous mix, like lava rock. 
Lava/ peat. Perlite. Mix is what I grown mine in. They love very fast draining soil. And need to have a stone like that as a top layer on the soil around the caudex. If you were able to get your hands on some red lava rock I’d mix that into the soil mix in a good percent. If you look at my photos of mine they all have about a .5-1in of lava rock as a top layer. And are planted in a high percentage of it as well.

when the adenium obesum get large enough to repot I would get a bag of some bark soil mix and repot it in that with some lava, peat, perlite.

Once germinated they will need slightly different care, as far as watering goes depending on what soil mix you plant them in. But while germinating they both need to remain moist but not soaking wet either. Misting the top layer and putting water in the bottom, for the soil to soak up,  will achieve this the best. I’d avoid pouring water directly over top of the seeds, because they both will be played more shallowly, and if you do you’ll remove all the soil covering the seeds.

Im going from mEmory here, I am moving next week and I packed my propagation journal with all my detailed notes. But I do know I did use a heat mat to start all of these seeds.This might be something good to do since you’ll be starting them indoors and temps can get a little too low for winter germination in the home. I hoped this helped and it wasn’t too all over the place. Please feel free to ask any specific questions and I’ll do my best to answer them directly. Ask away!! 

And I’ll look into a good heat mat that might work for you starting these seeds. The mat I used hasn’t existed since probably the late 90’s.

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## Smotzer (Mar 7, 2020)

@pannaking22 
This heat mat got pretty good reviews 


	

		
			
		

		
	
Would just need to get a thermostat.

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## Rhino1 (Mar 9, 2020)

Hey thanks very much for sharing this, I would love to see some of your pachy's and adeniums in squat pots or bonsai style pots.
Absolutely beautiful collection, again thanks for sharing.


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## Smotzer (Mar 9, 2020)

Rhino1 said:


> Hey thanks very much for sharing this, I would love to see some of your pachy's and adeniums in squat pots or bonsai style pots.
> Absolutely beautiful collection, again thanks for sharing.


This year I am going to do some potting up into my bonsai pots! I will definitely post pictures when I do! Thanks for the post and your welcome!


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## pannaking22 (Mar 9, 2020)

@Smotzer that was extremely helpful, thank you! The _A. obesum _seeds are "mixed" so I'm sure it's a few different varieties. I've got a starting tray and heat mat already from when I germinated pepper seeds, though I may need something different to plant the actual seeds in (not tall enough). I'll check the local Lowe's and see if they have any lava rock. With the _Dioscorea_, do you recommend clipping off the little "wing" on the seed before planting?


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## Smotzer (Mar 9, 2020)

@pannaking22 your very welcome! You can actually find it on amazon, I’d be very surprised if Lowes had it.
An no just plant them flat and cover them.
And when you plant the adenium seeds, I didn’t specify but I usually cover them very very lightly with sand. 
Keep me updated and I’ll help along the way! Love to see other people grow these plants!


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## Smotzer (Mar 9, 2020)

@pannaking22 also with dioscorea to help it grow and build the caudex you will want to water in a dilute fertlizer every time you water. This is what i use


You can do like a 25% ratio every time you water.

there’s a lot of options for fertilizers out there but this has been my go to for the life of my plants.


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## pannaking22 (Mar 9, 2020)

@Smotzer that's good to know too. I've got a succulent fertilizer at home that may work, but I'll have to check what all is in it. I've used it for a few other cacti and things I keep.


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## Smotzer (Mar 9, 2020)

pannaking22 said:


> @Smotzer that's good to know too. I've got a succulent fertilizer at home that may work, but I'll have to check what all is in it. I've used it for a few other cacti and things I keep.


I personally do not like the “succulent fertilizer” types, I’ve tried one from Home Depot but don’t get great results, and this brand you can get different NPK ratios, which is helpful for when they go dormant or get ready to flower. you can also easily switch over from something for regular vegetative growth to something for good root or flower development. It’s water soluble too which I love. And it’s very easy to control strength with how your fertilizing too. I would stay away from any time release fertilizers. But with both plants your going to grow the reason you will need to fertilize more is the soil will drain really fast and therefor doesn’t hold nutrients as long as if you had them in potting soil.
Everyone has their preferences, my preference for the last decade has been Jacks. I’ll probably always use it for all my plants.

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## Smotzer (Mar 9, 2020)

Just got these in! Be starting them in about a month!

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## Smotzer (Mar 11, 2020)

@pannaking22 how many seeds of both plants did you order?


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## Smotzer (Mar 11, 2020)

Here’s a _Crassula ovata_ I have been branch training to promote much denser compact growth. Grown from a cutting off my very old Jade already posted. Envisioning it as a side swept style tree. Going into one of my many many bonsai pots I have in storage from when I was an apprentice. Will repot it in the summer after another round of branch pruning. Here’s a before an after of it. Probably about 8 months of growth in between pictures. It’s ready for another pruning

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## pannaking22 (Mar 11, 2020)

Smotzer said:


> @pannaking22 how many seeds of both plants did you order?


15 _A. obesum_, 10 _D. elephantipes_


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## schmiggle (Mar 13, 2020)

I have one (currently sad looking) Hydnophytum sp. "Malaybalay"; it's a cool plant, and the way it grows its caudex is very interesting


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## pannaking22 (Mar 13, 2020)

schmiggle said:


> I have one (currently sad looking) Hydnophytum sp. "Malaybalay"; it's a cool plant, and the way it grows its caudex is very interesting


Whoa, that's a cool looking plant. I hadn't heard of that genus before. Very neat. Hard to believe just looking at it that it's an epiphyte. What's the care like on it?


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## schmiggle (Mar 14, 2020)

pannaking22 said:


> Whoa, that's a cool looking plant. I hadn't heard of that genus before. Very neat. Hard to believe just looking at it that it's an epiphyte. What's the care like on it?


Hot temps (suffers in the 60s), middling light, high humidity and water. The trick with ant plants is that, relative to other epiphytes, they can feed fairly heavily, because they're adapted to an influx of nitrogen from their ant inhabitants.

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## Smotzer (Mar 20, 2020)

@Rhino1 So for my Covid boredom I think I’m going to get around to repotting some of my caudiciforms into some of my old bonsai pots from when I was an apprentice and artist many years ago, sold off my trees but kept most of my pots. 






This pachy desperately needs a new pot as I had to cut away the sides of the pot to Make room for its swelling arms 




Thinking this rectangular pot for him 



Going to get some custom pots made for my other ones as I need some inbetween sizes for my gracilius’ that I would love to get out of plastic pots

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## pannaking22 (Mar 20, 2020)

@Smotzer got some supplies earlier this week, so I think I'm finally ready to plant some seeds! Any recommendations on soil mix percentages? I've got the red lava rock and some old moss, though I don't have perlite or much sand. I figure the lava rock should make it fast draining enough though. Haven't decided how I want to start them yet, in the seed dome or straight in a pot. It'll be cool this weekend, but back up in the 90s/100s again next week, so temps aren't really an issue anymore.


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## Smotzer (Mar 21, 2020)

pannaking22 said:


> @Smotzer got some supplies earlier this week, so I think I'm finally ready to plant some seeds! Any recommendations on soil mix percentages? I've got the red lava rock and some old moss, though I don't have perlite or much sand. I figure the lava rock should make it fast draining enough though. Haven't decided how I want to start them yet, in the seed dome or straight in a pot. It'll be cool this weekend, but back up in the 90s/100s again next week, so temps aren't really an issue anymore.


Hey man sorry for the delay for seedlings I would do no more than 50% peat the rest lava. That will be a good place to start. When they get a little older it will change slightly but for now that’s good’ 

Also are you in the US? I have some cuttings from my Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’ I have no use for. I offered them up on my plant forum but no takers yet so if you want one I’d be happy to send it to you.


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## Smotzer (Mar 21, 2020)

@pannaking22 I’m actually going to be mixing up a batch of soil for some repotting too tomorrow I can post how it looks if you would like. I’ll be mixing peat, perlite, possibly some pumice, and repurposing some old bonsai soil and remaining lava rock/peat mix


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## Smotzer (Mar 22, 2020)

Hey @pannaking22 i made a mix up here’s how I made it. One part peat, one part, perlite,one part stone. And then I add a little more stone like lava in it. I have a mix of lava, peat, perlite already mixed up, but just needed a little more so I used left over bonsai soil which is about half lava anyway. 
	

		
			
		

		
	






Here’s it all mixed up 
	

		
			
		

		
	




Here’s just the lava peat mix, yours will look like this. If you don’t have the perlite just add more stone

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## pannaking22 (Mar 22, 2020)

Smotzer said:


> Hey man sorry for the delay for seedlings I would do no more than 50% peat the rest lava. That will be a good place to start. When they get a little older it will change slightly but for now that’s good’
> 
> Also are you in the US? I have some cuttings from my Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’ I have no use for. I offered them up on my plant forum but no takers yet so if you want one I’d be happy to send it to you.


No worries, it ended up being a busy weekend for me (lots of OT at the moment, not COVID related) so I didn't have time to mix anything up. I'll try to make a quick batch tonight, your mix tips and pics help a lot! I think I'm going to make some space to put them in the seedling tray, though I'd read about people having success using the baggie method if kept warm. I did that with peppers before and placed them near my beardie heat lamp and it worked alright. Maybe for the future when I've got a better handle on these.

That's a neat looking plant! Yes, I'm in the US and I'd love a cutting of it.


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## Smotzer (Mar 22, 2020)

pannaking22 said:


> No worries, it ended up being a busy weekend for me (lots of OT at the moment, not COVID related) so I didn't have time to mix anything up. I'll try to make a quick batch tonight, your mix tips and pics help a lot! I think I'm going to make some space to put them in the seedling tray, though I'd read about people having success using the baggie method if kept warm. I did that with peppers before and placed them near my beardie heat lamp and it worked alright. Maybe for the future when I've got a better handle on these.
> 
> That's a neat looking plant! Yes, I'm in the US and I'd love a cutting of it.


I’ve never tried baggie method with these before, I don’t know how your guys would do with that


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## Anubis77 (Apr 13, 2020)

Awesome. I love your caudiciforms. Good to see another enthusiast. I took a break from animals and got into caudiciforms and succulents pretty hard for a couple years. Still have a bunch, but the lighting at my new apartment isn't doing a lot of them favors so I'll likely sell some. My treasures are a Dioscorea elephantipes, Pachypodium rosulatum gracilis (bit etiolated though), Fockea edulis, Corallocarpus glomeruliflorus, and my ever expanding and exploding Dorstenia.

Caudiciforms feel more like "creatures" rather than plants which is why I think it was a natural transition. Thick plants are best plants.


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## Smotzer (May 16, 2020)

Anubis77 said:


> Awesome. I love your caudiciforms. Good to see another enthusiast. I took a break from animals and got into caudiciforms and succulents pretty hard for a couple years. Still have a bunch, but the lighting at my new apartment isn't doing a lot of them favors so I'll likely sell some. My treasures are a Dioscorea elephantipes, Pachypodium rosulatum gracilis (bit etiolated though), Fockea edulis, Corallocarpus glomeruliflorus, and my ever expanding and exploding Dorstenia.
> 
> Caudiciforms feel more like "creatures" rather than plants which is why I think it was a natural transition. Thick plants are best plants.


Hey!! Sorry I just saw this! Really happy to see another enthusiast on here!! I would love to see your specimens!! You have some great species there!! Please feel free to post them on here! 

And you’re right!! caudiciforms are definitely little creatures!! Just little plump strange creatures! What more could you ask for!?


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## Smotzer (May 16, 2020)

Hey everyone! 

Got some updates on a few caudiciforms now that they have woke back up in the Texas heat!! I am very happy for them they are thriving in this weather, they don’t get quite as much light as I would like up on the 3rd floor, I have to rotate them every week or so, so I don’t get too crooked Of growth. But they are so happy and staying very firm. 

Pachypodium rosulatum gracilius (P. gracilius). Sporting some new leaves and two big flower stalks!! Flowers just started opening up and upon examination it confirms that it is indeed this species which makes me very happy. Flower is one of the best ways to identify pachypodiums 





Then there’s this P. r. gracilius who’s got a big fresh set of leaves and some beginnings to branching at the ends where the flower stalks grew from . 




This Suspect Pachypodium eburneum is having a hard time, he stayed a little too wet before and during transit down here to Texas and suffered some root loss(cold, damp, dormancy is rough for pachyies) Put him in a shallow small bonsai pot, with 90% aggregate soil to minimize sitting water in the soil, but he pushed growth and is slowly building back up turgor pressure in his caudex. Just goes to show you can never give up on these guys!! Just got to adjust their surroundings sometimes and let them re-establish. 





Will post more in a little bit it’s dinner time!

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## Smotzer (May 21, 2020)

@pannaking22 did you ever start those seeds?


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## pannaking22 (May 21, 2020)

Smotzer said:


> @pannaking22 did you ever start those seeds?


I got them, but then got super busy and never planted them. Looking forward to the 3 day weekend to hopefully finally have time to do it! I've got a little space cleared off for them and everything.


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## Smotzer (May 21, 2020)

pannaking22 said:


> I got them, but then got super busy and never planted them. Looking forward to the 3 day weekend to hopefully finally have time to do it! I've got a little space cleared off for them and everything.


Awesome!! My adenium's are just starting to bloom now and my Dioscorea's woke back up and are starting to grow!!



I’ll post more bloom picks as more than one opens at a time!!

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## Smotzer (Jun 2, 2020)

This has been the best continuous bloom I’ve ever had with any of my Adeniums. I counted a total of 17 flowers blooming at one time, and there’s two more yet to bloom. Flowers on almost every branch. It makes me really happy that all my plants are thriving in this Texas weather.

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## woodie (Jun 2, 2020)

Pachypodiums are my favorite caudiciforms. Will need to build a greenhouse to start my collection up again since our winters get pretty cold.  For now I can grow an indoir tropical caudiciform such as Myrmecodia and Hydnophytum.
  In fact have seedlings sprouting from seed collected on mother plants.


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## Smotzer (Jun 3, 2020)

woodie said:


> Pachypodiums are my favorite caudiciforms. Will need to build a greenhouse to start my collection up again since our winters get pretty cold.  For now I can grow an indoir tropical caudiciform such as Myrmecodia and Hydnophytum.
> In fact have seedlings sprouting from seed collected on mother plants.


Yeah me too they are just fascinating little “creatures”!! I’ve got two that are happily blooming this year for the first time in their lives. One I’m waiting on the flowers to fully open to get a positive ID on it. 
yeah I miss the space of my old greenhouse and the ability to control environments more but I can’t complain too much all my caudiciforms are doing extremely well now in Texas.
What species of those genera do you currently have both are great, I don’t currently have them but did at one point


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## basin79 (Jun 3, 2020)

Can't bloody believe I've only just clicked on this phenomenal thread. Hell fire you've got some beautiful plants.


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## woodie (Jun 3, 2020)

Currently only have Myrmecodia tuberosa and beccari, Hydnophytum papuanum and formicarum


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## Smotzer (Jun 3, 2020)

basin79 said:


> Can't bloody believe I've only just clicked on this phenomenal thread. Hell fire you've got some beautiful plants.


Thanks man appreciate it! I got some more updated pictures to post today! Of blooms and growing updates!

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## Smotzer (Jun 3, 2020)

Pachypodium gracilius multiblooms!

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## Smotzer (Jun 3, 2020)

Pachypodium lamerei

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## Smotzer (Jun 3, 2020)

Every so often something truly surprises you, well blooming for it’s first time in its life this supposed, at least that’s what the seeds said, P. densiflorum var. brevicaulx it’s got me very interested to say the least. The color is a little more washed out than I expect for true to type was expecting darker yellow, but it’s a washed out light yellow, shape is fairly close on flower, but not exact, and the caudex is a little bit more upright than some var. brevicaulx’s, I’d expect it to more closely resemble P. brevicaule with densiflorum traits, and less like some other in this genus. but this individual was grown in part shade so may be a little leggy in the caudex. Buuuut it’s 4 petaled....... and I looked at the other blooms and the outside looks like they are also 4 petaled....  Bizarre cause all pachypodiums are 5 petaled! It’s definitely a Pachypodium but some strange variation/cross/mutation. I am leading towards this actually being a cross between possibly P. eburneum and P. densiflorum var. brevicaulx. If not may just be some var. within densiflorum or eburneum. There have been some crosses in the genus from time to time. If I had another individual of this suspected species I would pollinate them to breed for possibly this petal mutation.

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## Smotzer (Jun 3, 2020)

I wasnt sure what was going on with them they were dormant for around 4 months, and were among the last of my plants to wake up out of dormancy in texas. But boy did they wake up!!! the growth on one has be be over 10-12ft now, was 6 foot straight up before vining around. I could prune them to create denser growth but I just want them to fully establish in their new environment.

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## Smotzer (Jun 3, 2020)

Here’s some better photos of the Dioscorea elephantipes caudices that are now growing!!

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## schmiggle (Jun 4, 2020)

Wow, those flowers are stunning! Aesthetically very interesting with the shape overall.


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## Smotzer (Jun 4, 2020)

schmiggle said:


> Wow, those flowers are stunning! Aesthetically very interesting with the shape overall.


Thank you!! Aren’t they just incredible(flower and overall)!?? And I just had a bloom of my wild  Echinocereus reichenbachii cacti! Which are truly incredible blooms for such a small cactus!


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## Smotzer (Jun 8, 2020)

Not a caudiciforms but too amazing of flowers not to share. Just had an incredible bloom out of my collected Echinocereus reichenbachii cacti. I believe the common name for them is Lace hedgehog cacti. I found these on a property I was working at and I collected a few, will be going back soon to collect a truly incredible specimen.

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## schmiggle (Jun 8, 2020)

Those are incredible! I'm always impressed by how cactus flowers can be bigger than the cactus.


Smotzer said:


> I found these on a property I was working at and I collected a few, will be going back soon to collect a truly incredible specimen


I don't want to rain on your parade, but I'm assuming you have a good reason for collecting cacti in the wild? Many species are at serious risk of extinction from overcollecting, and all are CITES II listed.


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## Smotzer (Jun 8, 2020)

schmiggle said:


> Those are incredible! I'm always impressed by how cactus flowers can be bigger than the cactus.
> 
> I don't want to rain on your parade, but I'm assuming you have a good reason for collecting cacti in the wild? Many species are at serious risk of extinction from overcollecting, and all are CITES II listed.


Yeah there definitely incredible!!

and yeah I know! This is at a property I’m working at that actually wants all the cacti, rocks, and cedar  removed. I stumbled upon a old grove of this species.  I will be going back to rescue a few more large old specimens as soon as I get a big enough pot.

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## Smotzer (Feb 24, 2021)

Snapped a close up picture of one of my Echinocereus reichenbachii. Got some great details on the spines  Taken in broad daylight at ISO 100, 1/100 at f.8.0. Its a shame downsizing it so much!

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## Smotzer (Feb 24, 2021)

My favorite Pachypodium gracilius in both color and black and white.


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## Smotzer (Feb 24, 2021)

My little alien that this year showed its true colors by flowering the first time I have ever seen it do so signaling its maturity, which for pachypodiums is a long time frame, many years. It was supposed to be a Pachypodium cf. ebuerneum but its flower is not representative of a true cf. ebuerneum, I got these seeds from collected specimens in Madagascar so hybrids are possible. From knowing the flowers I believe it is P. cf. eburneum x densiflorum.

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## Smotzer (Feb 24, 2021)

My beloved old seed grown Pachypodium cactipes. This along with my oldest P. saundersii were the very first pachies to ever sprout up into my life. This P. cactipes has lived in my house's on a windowsill its entire life. Not until this year has it really lived outside, and it did wonderful. You can see the incredible texture in its cracked skin. It will be getting a new pot this year!!


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## woodie (Feb 24, 2021)



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## Smotzer (Feb 24, 2021)

woodie said:


> View attachment 376934


NICE!!!


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## woodie (Feb 24, 2021)

If you like pachypodiums check out Myrmecodia and Hydnophytum as well.
 Have caudexes and for invert fans house ants in the wild


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## Smotzer (Feb 24, 2021)

woodie said:


> If you like pachypodiums check out Myrmecodia and Hydnophytum as well.
> Have caudexes and for invert fans house ants in the wild


Yeah they are both great genera. I have a big H. formicarum back in the greenhouse in NJ and I gave my H. moseleyanum to my friend as a gift!

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## woodie (Feb 24, 2021)

View attachment 376934

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## woodie (Feb 24, 2021)

I feel the M. Beccari looks particularly Pachypodium like


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## Smotzer (Feb 24, 2021)

woodie said:


> I feel the M. Beccari looks particularly Pachypodium like


They do somewhat!


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