Scientific Name
Pachypodium lamerei Drake
Common Name(s)
Madagascar Palm, Club Foot
Synonym(s)
Pachypodium rutenbergianum f. lamerei
Scientific Classification
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Apocynoideae
Tribe: Malouetieae
Genus: Pachypodium
Etymology
The specific epithet "lamerei" (pronounced "la-MER-ee-eye") honors Monsieur Lamere (tl. 1899), the French customs official at Fort Dauphin, who first collected a specimen of this species.
Origin
Pachypodium lamerei is native to Madagascar.
Description
Pachypodium lamerei is a semi-deciduous succulent tree with a silver-gray trunk, generally solitary or scarcely branched, and covered with sharp spines. The thick fleshy stem can grow up to 20 feet (6 m) tall and up to 1 foot (30 cm) in diameter. The leaves are green, narrow, arranged spirally, and mostly present just at the top of the plant. The leaves can measure up to 12 inches (30 cm) long, while the spines can measure up to 2.4 inches (6 cm) long.
The flowers are white with a yellow center, and appear in summer. They can reach a length of 2.4 inches (6 cm) and a diameter of 4.4 inches (11 cm). The plant rarely blooms indoors. The seed pods resemble cucumbers and can grow up to 8 inches (20 cm) long.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones 9a to 11b: from 20°F (-6.7°C) to 50°F (10°C).
How to Grow and Care
Madagascar Palm is not difficult to grow as a houseplant as long as it receives enough light and is planted in well-draining soil. To avoid root rot, be sure to place the plant in a container with drainage holes.
This plant requires bright light and fairly warm temperatures. Place your Madagascar Palm outdoors during daylight hours whenever the weather is above 70°F (21°C). It requires full sunlight to thrive. When it is not outdoors, keep it near a window with access to as much sunlight as possible.
Give the plant water when the surface soil is dry. Like many other plants, you can water less in the winter. Water just enough to keep the soil from drying out.
Use a diluted houseplant fertilizer at the beginning of spring and summer. If Madagascar Palm is happy and healthy, it will grow about 12 inches (30 cm) a year and bloom profusely.
If your plant shows signs of disease or pest infestation, remove the damaged parts. Leaf drop in winter is perfectly normal. Madagascar Palm may even drop all its leaves. But don't worry. It'll grow more leaves in spring when it gets the sunshine and warmth it loves. When it comes out of dormancy and you see new leaves growing, that's your cue to resume regular watering and fertilizing.
Learn more at How to Grow and Care for Pachypodium.
Forms
Links
- Back to genus Pachypodium
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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