Caudex Plant Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of popular caudex plants with care guides, traits, and root management tips.
Featured Caudex Plant
Showing 40 of 79 species(25–40)
Othonna Clavifolia
Othonna clavifolia
An Asteraceae caudex with club-shaped succulent leaves and yellow flowers, winter-growing.
Othonna Herrei
Othonna herrei
An Asteraceae caudex with fine branches creating bonsai-like atmosphere, a classic winter type.
Pachypodium Cactipes
Pachypodium cactipes
Similar to Gracilius but with yellow flowers, relatively available.
© Rosario / CC BY 4.0Pachypodium Densiflorum
Pachypodium densiflorum
Called Shiba Queen's Comb in Japanese, with dense yellow flowers and stocky caudex.
© Jesteinwiki / CC0Pachypodium Gracilius
Pachypodium gracilius
The quintessential caudex plant from Madagascar. Round caudex body with yellow flowers. Wild-collected specimens with unique forms command high prices. Seed-growing is also very popular.
© Kurt Stüber [1] / CC BY-SA 3.0Pachypodium Horombense
Pachypodium horombense
A Pachypodium with thick caudex producing multiple branches, yellow flowers and silver trunk.
© User:Hardscarf / CC BY-SA 3.0Pachypodium Rosulatum
Pachypodium rosulatum
A Pachypodium with vase-shaped caudex and rosette leaves, relatively easy to grow.
© HelenaH / CC BY-SA 3.0Pelargonium Appendiculatum
Pelargonium appendiculatum
A Pelargonium with branching tuber and fine leaves creating bonsai-like appearance, winter-growing.
© Stan Shebs / CC BY-SA 3.0Pelargonium Triste
Pelargonium triste
A tuberous Pelargonium with sweet night fragrance, gnarly tuber and carrot-like leaves.
© SAplants / CC BY-SA 4.0Pterodiscus Speciosus
Pterodiscus speciosus
A sesame-family caudex with beautiful pink-purple flowers and compact form.
© SAplants / CC BY-SA 4.0Sesamothamnus Lugardii
Sesamothamnus lugardii
A large sesame-family caudex tree with thick trunk and green bark, popular non-Madagascar species.
© Andy king50 / CC BY-SA 3.0Sinningia Leucotricha
Sinningia leucotricha
Known as Brazilian Edelweiss with silver-haired leaves and orange flowers.
Stephania Erecta
Stephania erecta
A caudex plant with a round tuber producing a single stem with round leaves, viral on social media.
© Marco Schmidt [1] / CC BY-SA 3.0Tylecodon Paniculatus
Tylecodon paniculatus
Called Butter Tree, with thick yellowish trunk and red flowers from South Africa.
© SAplants / CC BY-SA 4.0Uncarina Grandidieri
Uncarina grandidieri
A sesame-family caudex from Madagascar with yellow flowers, broad leaves and unique seeds.
© Another one of my pictures: This photograph was taken by Medium69 (William Crochot) and released under the license stated below. You are free to use it for any purpose as long as you credit the author (William Crochot), the Source (Wikimedia Commons) and the license (CC-BY-SA 4.0) in close relation to the image. Please do not upload an updated image here without consultation with the Author. The author would like to make corrections only at his own source RAW. This ensures that the changes are preserved. Please if you think that any changes should be required, please inform the author. Otherwise you can upload a new image with a new name. Please use one of the templates derivative or extract . / CC BY-SA 4.0Uncarina Roeoesliana
Uncarina roeoesliana
A caudex plant from Madagascar with large yellow flowers and characteristic sticky fruits.
Related Content
Caudex Plant FAQ
- How much do caudex plants cost?
- Pachypodium gracilius seedlings cost 2,000-10,000 yen, wild-collected specimens 30,000-200,000+ yen, and Operculicarya pachypus can reach hundreds of thousands of yen.
- Can beginners grow caudex plants?
- Adenium (Desert Rose) and Pachypodium seedlings are relatively easy and beginner-friendly. Just be careful with watering during winter dormancy, and you can enjoy them for years.
- How long do caudex plants live?
- Some specimens live for hundreds of years in the wild. In cultivation, they can thrive for decades with proper care. Watching the caudex thicken year by year is the greatest appeal.
- What should I check when buying caudex plants?
- Whether it's rooted is the most important point. Wild-collected imports are often unrooted and require root establishment. Beginners should start with rooted domestically grown seedlings.
- How do caudex plants overwinter?
- Many caudex plants go dormant in winter. Reduce watering from October, and withhold water completely from December to February. Keep indoors in a sunny spot at minimum 10°C.