Pachypodium Species, Elephant's Foot, Madagascar Palm

On Apr 23, 2011, SuburbanNinja80 from Plainfield, IN (Zone 6a) wrote:

its cool But at the time I didn't know how tall it could get also. I didn't know the Plant was poison type. But over all its a cool Cattie

On Nov 4, 2006, palmbob from Acton, CA (Zone 8b) wrote:

This is one of the two most commonly sold and grown Pachypodiums in California (but not the most common- that is P lamerii). It is often confused with that more common plant, but distinguished by having thinner leaves accented with a prominent midrib of a different color than the rest of the leaf. The leaves, compared to most other Pachypodiums, are less green, though if watered well and happy, the leaves are green.. just a duller and darker shade of green. Plants that are stressed a bit by intense heat, cold or lack of water tend to have darker leaves, still, almost purply in color. THe body of this plant is too similar for me to tell it apart from the more commonly grown and sold Pachypodium lamerii, and it is very spiny and dangerous to hold/plant. In my experience, at least here ... read morein southern CAlifornia, this is the slower growing plant (barely) if conditions are ideal, and given plenty of water in the warmer months. This plant is from the more dry areas of Madagascar, and is perhaps more prone to rot than P lamerii (the 'other' Madagascar 'Palm'), though I have not noticed that. P lamerii is from a much wetter climate in Madagascar, and truly loves to be watered a lot in the summers, make it grow faster and faster. This is a great accent plant, and though it is listed here as growing 12-15 feet tall, that is in many years. Most plants I have seen are 2-5' tall and, at least here in so Cal, rarely flower, or less rarely than the P lamerii.

On Sep 19, 2004, GUENWYVAR from Media, PA wrote:

This is a fantastic plant !! I have 2. I got the first one around 1977 at a new supermarket. They had a whole rack of them & all were about 3 or 4" tall. I thought they were cute & unusual.Madagascar Palm aka Pachypodium Lamerei the sign said. I got the other one a year or so later. Anyhow the first one is now 6' tall measured from trunk to top. It's in a huge tall clay pot which makes it seem to be at least a 1.5 feet taller.It has 2 big branches & a bud branch off one of them. One branch is about to BLOOM!!! This is the 3rd blooming. I forget the first year it bloomed,but the 2nd time was around 2000 I think. The branches develop where the flowers were.Both of these plants are real conversation pieces & attention getters. I know no one else who has them.The thorns are horrifying; very l... read moreong & sharp as needles.Believe me,you'll only bump into that plant ONCE. I've heard that it will only bloom after it's about 3' tall. It was about that at first bloom.The 2nd plant is about 5' 2" tall & has never bloomed.It has one branch that developed after it fell over & broke. I live in Southeast PA & keep them indoors from cool fall to late spring.They're out all summer. They get fed Miracle Gro. I worry about getting the big one in & out of the house thru the door since it touches the top of the door now. Eventually there'll be the ceiling.......Can you trim these plants ?

On May 26, 2003, lynxx wrote:

Fast growing and good indoors if it has good drainage and lots of light. Magnificent form/accent plant.