Spiny plant trunk.
By Stan510
- 6 Aug, 2021
- 7 likes
In its native Madagascar its a tree. Somewhere along the way the trunk of these drop the spines as it becomes too tall for animals to forage on. That would be in the 20-30' tall range.
Mine in 15 years outdoors has gone from less than 1' to over 6'. I'm happy with that.
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You must have to work round it very carefully, Stan...
7 Aug, 2021
Oh my goodness, how dangerous it looks!
8 Aug, 2021
Fantastic looking trunk, Stan, but fierce!!!!!
8 Aug, 2021
Looks fierce,yet this plant is sensitive to water at the roots in winter. Very large ones have collapsed in even a Los Angeles winter. I think mine being next to a sidewalk and raised a bit is doing well. Not exactly tropical fast growing, 8" or so to 6' in 15 years!
8 Aug, 2021
I posted a pic of a 30 plus foot Pachypodium lamerei in the Palm Springs botanical garden. I can’t remember if it had spines all the way up the trunk. I posted a pic on GoY of the tree back in 2012.
11 Aug, 2021
I saw that. It was tall but not old. Old ones in Madagascar trunks turn almost white,smooth. Yet,at the top they may have only three branches..to feed 30' of fat trunk somewhere around the middle of the plant. Must vary from plant to plant.
The Los Angeles arboretum a decade ago+, planted many that were as large as can be bought..in crates they were so big. Some died,others must be over 20' by now with those golden trunks...that,again,become white in great age.
Ah,just noticed- look at the very base of mine. Smooth and light colored. THAT'S what the whole trunk gets in a half century I guess-ha.
11 Aug, 2021
Stan,
It was an old Pachypodium which was planted in the early 80’s (if I’m not mistaken it was 6 ft tall when planted in the ground). I got the history from the worker at the botanical gardens.
14 Aug, 2021
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Ouch! I wouldn't want to get caught up on one of those spikes!
7 Aug, 2021