Caudex Plant Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of popular caudex plants with care guides, traits, and root management tips.
Featured Caudex Plant
Showing 9 of 141 species
Pachypodium bicolor
Pachypodium bicolor
A yellow-flowered Pachypodium in the P. rosulatum group, named for its two-tone flowers whose throat is white inside. A thick trunk branches densely into a low, somewhat pendulous shrub 25-50 cm tall.
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.
Pachypodium enigmaticum
Pachypodium enigmaticum
A Pachypodium from central Madagascar described in 2014. From the top of a round, greenish-white caudex it spreads glossy, hairless leaves and bears large, clear yellow flowers.
© Kurt Stüber [1] / CC BY-SA 3.0Pachypodium Horombense
Pachypodium horombense
A Pachypodium with thick caudex producing multiple branches, yellow flowers and silver trunk.
© Michael Wolf (Webseite) / CC BY-SA 3.0Pachypodium inopinatum
Pachypodium inopinatum
A small central-northern Madagascan Pachypodium in the P. rosulatum group. Slender spiny branches rise from a swollen trunk, and unusually for this mostly yellow-flowered group it bears ivory flowers.
© Daderot at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0Pachypodium Lamerei
Pachypodium lamerei
A spiny caudex plant from Madagascar. Popular as 'Madagascar Palm Tree'.
© User:Hardscarf / CC BY-SA 3.0Pachypodium Rosulatum
Pachypodium rosulatum
A Pachypodium with vase-shaped caudex and rosette leaves, relatively easy to grow.
Pachypodium sofiense
Pachypodium sofiense
A tree-like Pachypodium from north-western Madagascar close to P. rutenbergianum, reaching about 5 m. Spiny branches end in dense, palm-like tufts of leaves, and it produces many white flowers.
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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.