Description
Pachypodium lamerei is a succulent of the dogbane family (Apocynaceae). As its common name suggests, it comes from Madagascar. In the wild it reaches up to 10 m in height. In winter, when it drops its tuft of green leaves, it looks like a cactus, and in spring it grows again with renewed vigour. Pachypodium grows fast: after two or three years it is already a metre tall. The leaves are 40 cm long and 11 cm wide. Occasionally, especially after a sunny, warm summer, delicate, unscented white flowers may appear among the leaves at the top of the plant.
The plant grows well at a south-facing window and among cacti, where it stands out with its size.
Requirements
Place the plant in a very bright spot – it can even stand in the sun. A south-facing window above a radiator is ideal. With careful attention it may keep some leaves in winter too. It tolerates high temperatures and needs a minimum of 15°C in winter.
Propagation
It is propagated from offsets of the mother plant or from seed.
Care
Repot in spring, roughly every two years, and certainly when the roots fill the pot. Use a mix of flower compost and sand. It is not pruned; just remove withered and yellow leaves.