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Pachypodium brevicaule (Pachypodium brevicaule)

Pachypodium brevicaule is a perennial dwarf caudiciform succulent or shrub with an extremely short, broad, flattened trunk that is almost unbranched, giving it a rock-like or tuber-like appearance.

LightPachypodium brevicaule requires full sun.
WaterIt is sensitive to standing water and excessive moisture and readily rots, so the growing medium must drain quickly; during active growth, watering should be controlled without allowing prolonged complete drying. A singl
HumidityIt is reported to need good airflow.
TemperatureIt is frost tender and should be kept above freezing; cold triggers dormancy, during which it drops its leaves. Sources are few and differ on the lower temperature guidance, with about 5 °C reported. A single source repo
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Overview

Pachypodium brevicaule is a perennial dwarf caudiciform succulent or shrub with an extremely short, broad, flattened trunk that is almost unbranched, giving it a rock-like or tuber-like appearance.

Origin and habitat

Pachypodium brevicaule is native to south-central and central Madagascar, extending from south of Antananarivo to the Itremo Mountains. It occurs in open, sunny rocky habitats, woodland, or savanna, often on exposed sandstone surfaces and in fissures of quartzite outcrops, with some occurrences on granite; its substrate is highly acidic. A single source reports a climate with a distinct dry period and relatively cool average temperatures.

Characteristics

Sources differ on mature size, reporting a height of about 2–15 cm and a spread of about 10–40 cm. It has a thickened trunk (pachycaul), and mature plants can develop a broad, low form, with wild individuals becoming substantially broader. Sources differ in their leaf descriptions: leaves are clustered in rosettes at the tips of shortened shoots or nodes, are green to gray-green and range from ovate or obovate to elliptic, while young leaves or their undersides may be sparsely to conspicuously hairy; the bright yellow, tubular to salver-shaped flowers commonly form dense cymes. Sources differ on the flowering period, while a single source reports hairy fruits and small seeds.

Light

Pachypodium brevicaule requires full sun.

Watering

It is sensitive to standing water and excessive moisture and readily rots, so the growing medium must drain quickly; during active growth, watering should be controlled without allowing prolonged complete drying. A single source generally recommends that while in leaf, water when the mix has dried, and withhold water while leafless. During winter dormancy, watering should be greatly reduced or nearly withheld.

Humidity and airflow

It is reported to need good airflow.

Temperature and dormancy

It is frost tender and should be kept above freezing; cold triggers dormancy, during which it drops its leaves. Sources are few and differ on the lower temperature guidance, with about 5 °C reported. A single source reports that it has high heat tolerance.

Growing medium and mounting

It requires an exceptionally well-drained, acidic growing medium, and calcareous media should be avoided. A specialist single source reports that it needs a very fast-draining mix.

Feeding

A single source gives genus-level guidance for Pachypodium to fertilize during the spring and autumn growth periods, using slow-release fertilizer or diluted liquid fertilizer according to its label.

Propagation

Pachypodium brevicaule can be propagated from seed, and sources also report grafting it onto rootstocks such as Pachypodium gaeyi or Pachypodium lamerei.

Common problems

A single source on cultivated Pachypodium reports aphids, especially around flowering, and reports soft rot, with high humidity and root wounds potentially increasing its risk. The principal cultivation problem is rot, particularly in association with excessive watering, poor drainage, or excessive moisture, although some sources also advise against prolonged complete dryness. It is sensitive to cold and should be protected from frost, and it generally becomes dormant during cold periods.

Identification

Pachypodium brevicaule is distinguished by its extremely low, broad, flattened, irregular caudiciform stem, with very little or almost no true branching, only short projections or leaf rosettes, along with short spines and a rock-like appearance in the mature caudex.

Photos

Pachypodium brevicaule
📷 bat (Maria Vorontsova) · CC0 · source
Pachypodium brevicaule
📷 no rights reserved, uploaded by Bat · CC0 · source

Sources