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Design and InstallationGarden Caregarden TriviaIndoor plantsPlant Health CareUncategorized
Written By Peter Morris

THE MESMERIZING CAUDICIFORMS

  

What are they ?

 Caudiciform plants are those that create a swollen base or trunk - which is called a caudex.  Usually above ground, they can also develop under the soil level.  The trunk can be smooth, bumpy or even have a turtle back arrangement! Many caudiciform plants are also classified as pachycauls.  Derived from Greek - pachy, which means thick, and Latin - caulis, or stem. Pachycauls usually have very few branches in proportion to their thick trunks.

Caudex stem

 

Why are they like this ?

 Their distinctive structure is a survival mechanism. During the short rainy season, the enlarged stems store water.  It then uses this water over the long dry season. Hence, they evolved in areas of distinct seasonal rain. 

Water storing wood tissue

 

Where do they come from ?

 Basically, they evolved everywhere on the planet where the environment is subject to infrequent rains.  Most commercially grown caudiciforms come from the desert regions of Africa or Mexico. The Baobab tree is from Madagascar.  

Can one use them Indoors ?

 Some of the caudiciforms are used as indoor plants.  Because of where they evolved most want a hot, dry, brightly lit or sunny spot to grow in.  A few like the common ponytail (Beaucarnea recurvata) have the ability to adapt to artificial lighting. Most of the time you will have to put in a sunny window.  Otherwise they may become weak, or not grow properly nor bloom. Here are samples of some that are commercially available - nursery grown. 

Adenium obesum (desert rose)

 

Albuca genus (pregnant onion)

 

Jatropha podagrica (Buddhas belly)

  

Can I put one Outdoors ? (in warm climates only !)

 Adansonia grandidieri (baobab tree)Great story !In the fall of 2018, one of Madagascar’s most sacred baobabs cleaved and crumbled. The ancient giant was estimated to be about 1,400 years old.  It had offered food, fuel, and fiber to the region before its 90 foot around trunk collapsed. Known as Tsitakakoike - the tree where one cannot hear the cry from the other side.  This particular baobab was entwined with local lore.  It was thought to house the ancestral spirits of nearby Masikoro people. Brachychiton rupestris (bottle tree) Cussonia paniculata (cabbage tree) Dioscorea elephantipes(elephants foot) Fockea edulis (hottentot bread) 

 Pseudobombax ellipticum (shaving brush tree)  

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Article written by our Staff Horticulturist, Peter B Morris, BSc, MSc, MBAAll photographs used with permission @SHUTTERSTOCK 

Peter Morris

Peter was born and raised on a beautiful green island in the midst of a tropical rainforest. He was introduced into the world of plants at the age of six when his grandmother, an avid Spanish gardener herself, asked him to help her grow seeds for her pepper garden. He was hooked! By the time he was a teen, he had his own rose and orchid collection numbering in the hundreds. Botany was in his blood, and that is what he set out to study.

His passion brought him to NY in the late seventies to further his education. His tenacity allowed him to work full time at Plant Specialists while he completed a MS in Plant Biology. As a manager at the time he felt unsatisfied with his knowledge of business and business processes. Peter felt compelled to learn, so he then pursued and completed an MBA in Quality Management within a few short years.

Peter’s other passion is teaching. His natural ability is quickly consumed by our staff in all subjects in Botany, Horticulture, and Landscaping. He created an immense reference library of more than 3,500 plants providing an invaluable resource for our staff.

Peter’s breadth of knowledge and wisdom allows him to effectively diagnose the needs of plants. Sometimes just by walking into a garden he can create a prescription that fixes even the hardest issue. He is our Staff Botanist, Diagnostician, and all around Mentor. Recently, he has put his immense knowledge and skills into developing a new department that focuses on Plant Healthcare. As he puts it, “Magic through Science”. The PHC staff that surround him have avidly consumed his teachings. Substantially developing their own plant wisdom, many have taken on difficult plant health issues with spectacular results.

Plant Healthcare has been an instant success with customers! The proper treatment of insects and diseases including Organic methods has made pest control a necessity for every plant. Correcting hormonal imbalances caused by planting in containers or refurbishing soils leached of nutrients by irrigation systems are big challenges PHC has become quite comfortable addressing. The scientific approach to the complex demands of keeping plants healthy in our harsh city environment has made many a customer say WOW!

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