Caudex Plant Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of popular caudex plants with care guides, traits, and root management tips.
Featured Caudex Plant
Showing 4 of 141 species
© JMK / CC BY-SA 3.0Adenia Glauca
Adenia glauca
A Passiflora-family caudex with a large green caudex and tri-lobed leaves with climbing stems.
© Michael Wolf (Webseite) / CC BY-SA 3.0Adenia keramanthus
Adenia keramanthus
An exceptionally hairy Adenia from Kenya and Tanzania, with trunk and leaves covered in fine grey to rusty-brown hairs. It bears downward-facing, cream, pot-shaped flowers and bright red fruits the size of an egg.
© Daderot / CC0Adenia perrieri
Adenia perrieri
A Madagascan Adenia that sends green vines with lace-like, finely divided leaves from a caudex about 20 cm across. It is grown more for its foliage than its caudex, and a white-spotted "snowflake" form is also known.
© Michael Wolf (Webseite) / CC BY-SA 3.0Adenia spinosa
Adenia spinosa
A summer-growing Adenia from northern South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe whose twisted, spiny branches rise from a large, irregular, swollen stem. Only seed-grown plants form a caudex; plants from cuttings never do.
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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.