Camera : Fuji FinePix 2800Zoom
Taken in my garden (Tarlton,Gauteng, South Africa)
Pachypodium lamerei has a tall, silvery-gray trunk covered with sharp 6.25 cm spines. Long, narrow leaves grow only at the top of the trunk, like a palm tree and is often marketed as the “Madagascar Palm”, despite it not being a palm at all. It is a stem succulent and comes from the island Madagascar.
It rarely branches, except here in Tarlton! With every consecutive frost it got a new branch in Spring. Sadly to say, after being in my garden for several years at a height of 3 meters, a particularly severe frost killed it a couple of winters ago. Plants grown outdoors will reach up to 6 metres. When grown indoors it will slowly reach 1.2-1.8 m tall.
Plants grown outdoors will develop large, white, fragrant flowers at the top of the plant. It rarely flowers indoors.
I don't usually replace plants that die or are not suitable for our area, but shortly after my Pachy died, I came upon one at a succulent show in 2008 and guess what? I couldn't resist buying it!
New Pachypodium in 2009
It has now grown from a 6" baby into almost a meter tall. I've been bringing it into the house every winter, but after it's first transplant into a bigger pot, it has grown so big that it is a problem carrying it in. Will have to drag the old garden trolley out of the store room...
Pachypodium lamerei in 2010
Pachypodium lamerei, having out-grown his pot and just before being transplanted late 2012
My Pachy after being transplanted in Oct 2013
Pachypodium lamerei in March 2014 (see how the Echeverias have grown also!)
If you have a frost-free climate, these are one of the most stunning succulents to have in your garden and makes a beautiful feature plant.
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