Pachypodium lamerei

I've got one of these :o) They look pretty with all their leaves ...

I was wondering if you do Hywel. Now I know.

:o)

Klahanie:

How tall do they grow in Mexico?

The tallest one I've ever seen was at Morton's Desert Botanical Garden in Palm Springs, CA. it was more than 30ft (10m) tall.

Here a photo of it.

http://www.growsonyou.com/photo/slideshow/220328-pachypodium-lamerei-madagascar-palm-at-morton-s-desert-botanical-garden/all

I have not seen one very big.... maybe 10 ft. I am not saying that they are not some bigger ones here,I just have not seen them. Not widley distributed plant here.

I have one in the picture No 20 in this blog which is probably 8 ft

http://www.growsonyou.com/klahanie?current=blog&usubset=22831-images-of-plants-and-gardens-in-mexico

They usually top out here in San Diego around 10 - 12 ft., I've seen a few around 15ft tall.

That one in PS is really unusual. Not many will grow like that- a tall thin pole. I like the one's with swollen bases,multiple branches.

I think the one in Palm Springs is a true Pachypodium lamerei. Many of the ones being sold are different forms or hybrids which have fuller leaves and branch more freely.

I've seen photos of large old ones in Madagascar. By 30' more or less,they have a bottle trunk. Usually at that height they are so old,the thorns are gone.
I would say that the PS plant is like those cuttings from a sidebranch of a tree. Those type never grow a leader- always want to grow into sideways tree?
Something like that at work.
Its amazing that it could grow that tall and thin without snapping in a strong wind.

I think it has to do with the extreme heat. Madagascar doesn't not get as hot as Palms Springs. Remember: Palm Springs is one of the hottest places in the world. It's probably not receiving enough water, also. (in summer).

Pachypodium is a very strong plant. It's difficult to cut them. I have a exotic species of Pachypodium. Its branches are really strong.

The best looking ones in the USA actually are in South Texas. The hot and dry and humid make for some huge Pachypodiums with fat- like bottle tree fat- trunks. Florida might have the lushest- all that rain and all year warmth. But they dont get the really fat trunk,- no need with rain most of the year.
Xeric forum has a photo from Richard in deep south Texas of the fattest Pachy lamerii around.
The bay area? They grow!..all I can ask for-lol. Nobody here has hot and humid...ever..

Have you ever seen my photos of the hundreds of Pachypodium on a hill at The San Diego Safari Park? They're very tall and have huge trunks. They bloom very well in all the extreme heat out there. I usually don't go to the SD Safari park in summer because it's always too hot.

No,or maybe. If you can link them.
The ones in South Texas are VERY obese-lol. They do get frost- I can see where at one time it's branches were nipped back..but the overall climate in Brownsville makes for some great "Bottle Palms'.

I have seen photos of the ones in Brownsville, TX. They are nice-looking plants. (there's nice coconut and royal palms along with Delonix regia trees, also) They get that size here, also. I haven't taken too many photos of Pachypodium here in San Diego...it's most likely because there's too many other more interesting plants/trees (to me anyway) growing here.

I need to get a photo of the really nice Jack fruit tree not to far from me. It looks great! It had nice big fruit on it last year. It's sometimes difficult to get photos of the tree because of its location.

The LA arboretum did a Madagascar area back around 2010? The Pachys they put in are huge by California standards. But the L.A. arbor is only a 10a climate. Some died,others lost a branch here or there. Something like I put up with..perfect tropical growing conditions are never going to happen all year in a California 10a.

Andy- you have Gribsley's Nursery (10b or 11a) near you right? They have fantastic huge Pachypodium half men- as large as in habitat. Some enormous Cyphostemma currori. Taller then a man and as big around.
Might be a good place for a photo shoot!

Those are the kinds of plants that make me think that far south is more tropical then I thought.

Never heard of Gribsley's Nursery. I couldn't find it on the internet.

I know Kniffing's Nusery has huge ones. There's actually many nurseries which sell very large, tall Pachypodium plants here in San Diego.

I've taken several photos of Cyphostemma currori. There's many in Balboa Park and at the San Diego Zoo. It's more an oddity...I'm not that attracted to this plant so much...even the flower are not so nice. LOL!