Ever since I got hooked on caudiciform plants, Tylecodon cacalioides has become one of my favorites. It comes from the arid regions of South Africa, and what draws me in most is its thick caudex and those branches that look like living sculptures. On top of that, its cycle is the opposite of what you'd expect: it grows in winter and rests in summer, so you have to learn to read it well.
The first thing I learned is that it loves light. At home I keep it next to a very bright window, with gentle direct sun or bright indirect light. Watering depends on the season: during its growing period, from winter to spring, I water moderately and let the substrate dry out between waterings. In summer, when it goes dormant and drops its leaves, I almost stop watering: once a month or less. Overwatering is enemy number one for these plants.
For the substrate I use a cactus and succulent mix with added coarse sand or perlite so it drains well. It handles heat without any trouble, but not hard frosts: in winter I make sure it doesn't drop below 5 °C. I only fertilize during the growing season, with a cactus fertilizer diluted to half strength.
What I'm most obsessed with, like every caudex lover, is getting the caudex to fatten up. Here's what works for me: regular watering during the growing season without ever leaving it soggy, plenty of light for compact growth, pruning weak branches so the energy goes to the stem, and a pot that isn't too big. At each repotting, every two or three years, I expose the base a little so it gets light, and I use a fertilizer that's low in nitrogen and rich in potassium and phosphorus.
Caring for a Tylecodon is an exercise in patience, but watching that thick trunk gradually take shape is one of the most rewarding things this hobby has given me. If you like caudex plants, I highly recommend it.
Source: Caudexista
In July 2026, Gartenjournal published a care guide for the desert rose (Adenium obesum). It is a shrub with a thickened trunk, the caudex, which stores water. Indoors it usually stays at 30 to 50 cm, and its bell-shaped flowers appear from April to July in white, pink, red or purple.
It needs lots of light and warmth. It can go outside in summer, but it should be gradually acclimatised to the sun and must not drop below 15 °C. In winter 12 to 15 °C is right, and never below 10 °C.
For the substrate, the article recommends a mix of houseplant potting soil and sand (80:20). Plants grown from seed tolerate cactus soil better, while grafted plants cope well with tub soil. Water less in autumn, hardly at all in winter, and increase again from March. A limp, rubbery trunk is a sign of water shortage. Fertilise from March to October every two to three weeks with cactus fertiliser.
Winter dormancy with leaf loss is normal and encourages flowering next year. The milky sap is poisonous, so keep the plant out of reach of children and pets.
I like that the text explains the difference between plants grown from seed and grafted plants, because that is often overlooked when choosing soil.
Source: Gartenjournal
The agave comes from Mexico and the neighbouring arid regions. It forms a rosette of fleshy, often toothed leaves ending in a very sharp spine, in shades from glaucous green to steel blue. Depending on the species it ranges from 20 to 30 cm up to over 2 m tall. For lovers of water-storing plants it is a very useful relative: little upkeep, but plenty of character.
The decisive point is drainage. The guide from Jardiner Malin explains that most losses come from too much water in winter, far more than from cold. It recommends at least 6 hours of full sun a day, a stony or sandy soil lightened by 30 to 50% drainage materials (coarse sand, pumice, lime-free gravel) and, in humid climates, a mineral mound 20 to 30 cm high to raise the rosette. A mineral mulch warms the soil and shows the plant off.
In a pot, the suggested substrate is about 50% cactus compost, 30% pumice or gravel and 20% coarse sand, in a heavy, drilled pot 20 to 30% wider than the rosette. Overwintering is done frost-free, in a very bright spot, between 5 and 10 °C, with almost no watering. During the season, watering is moderate from May to September, letting the whole root ball dry out.
As for hardiness, A. parryi and A. ovatifolia tolerate down to -12/-15 °C in dry soil, while A. attenuata does not tolerate less than -2 °C. Many agaves are monocarpic: they flower only once, after which the mother rosette dies, leaving offsets. These are separated in spring or summer and left to callus for 3 to 7 days before planting.
Watch out for rot, scale insects and, in risk areas, the agave weevil. Handle the plant with thick gloves and goggles, because the terminal spine is unforgiving.
Source: Jardiner Malin
In September 2026, Jardiner Malin updated its profile of the adenium (Adenium obesum), a succulent from arid regions prized for its swollen caudex that stores water.
It needs a very bright spot, ideally a south- or east-facing window; without enough light it stretches and flowers little. The substrate must drain very well, for example universal potting soil mixed with sand or pozzolana, or a cactus mix. The pot needs drainage holes and should be only slightly wider than the caudex, and it should be repotted in spring every two to three years.
It goes outside only between May and September, gradually, and the temperature must never drop below 10 °C. Watering is sparing, only when the substrate is dry, and reduced in winter, since excess water is the main cause of root rot. During growth, feed with a flowering-plant or cactus fertiliser every four to six weeks, then stop in autumn and winter.
Sowing is the most common method but it is slow, whereas cuttings flower sooner without forming the characteristic caudex. Leaf drop in winter is normal as long as the caudex stays firm. The whole plant is toxic if ingested.
The remark on cuttings is the one I will remember: if you want a fine caudex, you have to go through seed.
Source: Jardiner Malin
A caudex is the thickened, often woody base of the stem or root collar where a plant stores water and nutrients. Because of that bottle-like shape, collectors love caudex plants. In the latest selection from Botanichka, I liked that the list includes not only rarities but also fairly accessible species.
The list has six plants. Adenium, or the “desert rose,” comes from Africa and Arabia, with a fat caudex and large flowers that look like roses or trumpets. Brachychiton from Australia is a slow-growing “bottle tree” with a smooth grey-green trunk that forgives watering mistakes. Dioscorea has a rough caudex half-buried in the soil that resembles elephant skin, and it has a clear seasonal cycle with a dormant period when only the caudex stays alive.
Next come pachypodium, a Madagascan succulent with a thick spiny stem and long narrow leaves that make it look like a palm; Jatropha podagrica, with a bottle-shaped caudex, maple-like leaves and coral-coloured flower clusters; and dorstenia, whose caudex is often flat like a disc.
The care rules are broadly the same. Water generously but rarely, letting the soil dry out almost completely; keep plants in bright sun, ideally a south-facing window; use a loose, lean mix with drainage additives and shallow pots with large drainage holes. The main enemies are root rot, spider mites and mealybugs, and leaf drop during dormancy is normal.
For me, the main takeaway of the article is that caudex plants forgive forgetfulness with watering much more readily than excessive care.
Source: Botanichka
Planet Desert updated its overview of caudex plants in May 2026, and it works well as a first map of the hobby. A caudex is a swollen stem or root above ground that stores water; the plants are also called caudiciform or pachycaul, and most come from arid parts of Mexico or Africa.
The list includes Beaucarnea recurvata (ponytail palm), Jatropha podagrica (Buddha belly), Pachypodium lamerei (Madagascar palm), Euphorbia stellata (Medusa's head), Ficus petiolaris (rock fig, about 2 m indoors and good for bonsai), Fockea edulis and Adenium obesum, which the page flags as poisonous.
General care is simple: water regularly in spring and summer but let the soil dry between waterings, water minimally in winter, use well-drained sandy soil or cactus mix, give full sun, and remember most are not frost hardy. Seeds are ideal for propagation.
The FAQ covers a soft adenium caudex, which can come from water loss, shipping damage, fungal root attack, compacted soil or an oversized pot. Recovery steps are removing leaves and flowers, cutting off rotten roots, dusting cuts with lime powder and drying the plant in the sun for at least two days.
I like this as a starting point for choosing what to grow next.
Source: Planet Desert
The elephant foot (Beaucarnea recurvata), also called ponytail palm or bottle palm, is one of the least demanding plants with a swollen stem base. The base stores water, so it forgives being forgotten better than being overcared for. It is not poisonous, grows about 1.5 meters tall indoors and bears grey-green leaves up to 50 cm long. In the dry forests of Mexico it can reach 9 meters and live over 350 years, a figure I find quite impressive.
It likes very bright, sunny spots, ideally a south- or west-facing window; in summer the harsh midday sun can be softened with a curtain. Once it is used to the sun, it may go outdoors in summer. When outside temperatures drop below 8 °C, it has to come back inside. In winter 10 to 15 °C is ideal; it does not tolerate temperatures below 7 °C, and draughts should be avoided.
Water only when the soil has dried out completely between waterings: in spring and summer about every 14 days, in a heated room in autumn and winter roughly once a month, and almost not at all when it overwinters in a cool place. Feed only in the warm season, once a month, with half-strength cactus or green-plant fertilizer. A suitable substrate is permeable cactus soil with plenty of coarse sand.
Repot only every three to five years, ideally between mid-February and late March, into a shallow pot with drainage. Yellow, soft leaves usually indicate waterlogging; brown tips point to lack of water or dry air. The elephant foot is best propagated from seed or offsets; according to the article, cuttings from the trunk hardly root.
What I find interesting is the note that cutting back in spring encourages side shoots; the cut should be protected with wound sealant or wax.
Source: Gartenjournal
Pachypodium lamerei is one of those classics almost everyone ends up buying. Although it's called the Madagascar palm and looks like a spiny palm tree, it's a succulent in the Apocynaceae family, not a cactus. A care guide I found sums up the essentials well.
In its habitat it can reach 3 or 4 meters, while in a pot it usually stays between 30 centimeters and 1.5 meters. It needs plenty of light and heat, with daytime temperatures of 20 to 30 degrees; below about 15 degrees it may drop its leaves and go dormant. Losing its leaves in winter is normal, and it sprouts again when the heat returns.
Watering is the delicate part. Because it stores water in its stem, it tolerates drought better than excess. In spring and summer, water once or twice a week, letting the substrate dry out between waterings; in autumn and winter, every two weeks, or not at all if it's resting. The article identifies root rot as the main cause of death for this species.
For the substrate it proposes an airy mix of black soil, leaf mold and tepojal, or a cactus mix with gravel or pumice. Repot every two or three years, and wear gloves because of the spines. Fertilize only in spring and summer, with cactus fertilizer at half strength once a month.
To propagate, it recommends soaking seeds for 24 hours before sowing them in spring. I like that the text is clear about what makes this plant suffer most: too much water and too little light.
Source: JardineriaOn
The Madagascar palm (Pachypodium lamerei) is not a true palm but a succulent in the dogbane family. In the trade it is also sold as thick-foot or palm cactus. What appeals to me most is its thickened, spiny trunk, which stores water. Indoors the trunk can reach about 30 cm in diameter, and the plant usually grows up to two meters tall. In its home in Madagascar it can reach eight meters.
As for location, the brighter and warmer the better; a south-facing window is ideal. In summer it can go outside, but it has to get used to direct sun gradually or it will get sunburnt. It feels best at 18 to 30 °C, and in winter it should not drop below 15 °C. It does not tolerate frost, so bring it indoors before the first frost.
The substrate must be permeable and loose, for example a mix of cactus soil, potting soil and sand, with a drainage layer of gravel or expanded clay. Water sparingly: let the surface dry out between waterings, because waterlogging quickly leads to root rot. During the growing season from spring to autumn it can have a little more, while in winter just enough to keep the substrate slightly moist. From April to September, feed every two to four weeks with diluted cactus fertilizer.
Repot every two to three years in spring, choosing a new pot only about two centimeters larger. Important: wear gloves and protect the trunk, because the milky sap irritates the skin, and the whole plant is poisonous due to its cardenolides, so be careful around children and pets. It can be propagated from seed at 25 to 30 °C or, more simply, from cuttings of side shoots.
According to the article, the leaves dropping in winter is normal: the plant rests and sprouts again in spring. The most common pests are scale insects and spider mites; higher humidity and wiping off the affected spots helps.
Source: Gartenjournal
Top Tropicals just posted a care guide for Adenium (desert rose, impala lily) and its main message is reassuring: most problems come from too much water, not enough light, or the wrong soil.
For soil, the guide wants a very fast-draining, airy mix and warns against heavy peat blends. Their formula is a potting mix with coarse construction sand at 50/50, and lava rock or charcoal can be added. Because adenium likes slightly alkaline soil, shells on top can help raise pH. Use shallow, unglazed clay pots close to the root ball size.
Light should be full sun, though in very hot climates bright filtered light protects leaves and keeps flowers longer. Water deeply, then let the soil dry completely, and keep plants out of excess rain. Feed lightly during active growth with a high-phosphorus bloom fertilizer, avoid the caudex itself, and do not fertilize in winter dormancy.
The caudex tip I liked most: raise the plant slightly at each repotting so the caudex sits a little higher. The guide also notes that seed-grown plants take 2-3 years to bloom and often do not come true, while grafted plants give predictable flowers on a developed caudex.
I appreciate guides that reduce adenium to three checks (water, light, soil) before anything else.
Source: Top Tropicals Garden Blog
Some plants store water in the base of their stems, ending up with the bottle or tortoise shape that collectors can't resist. I read a practical guide on caring for them, and the main takeaway is this: they're tough, but the caudex rots easily if you overwater or the drainage is poor.
The guide stresses watering according to each species' cycle. During active growth, let the top 3 or 4 centimeters of the substrate dry out; while dormant, water minimally or not at all if the caudex stays firm. A simple trick it suggests is to push a wooden stick about 3 centimeters into the soil to check moisture before watering.
For the substrate, it recommends a very airy mix, with one part organic material and one part mineral (river sand, perlite or pumice), and wide, shallow pots with good drainage holes. The caudex can sit partly above the soil; what you shouldn't do is bury it too deep or cut it.
Species mentioned include Adenium obesum, Pachypodium lamerei, Dioscorea elephantipes, Stephania erecta and Fockea edulis. For Adenium, it suggests pinching the tips if you want branching, and for Dioscorea it notes that its cycle can be reversed depending on the climate, so watering should follow when it sprouts or loses its leaves.
The guide also warns about common pests (mealybugs, spider mites and snails) and about protecting the plants from frost. Personally, I think it's a good starting point for anyone beginning with caudiciforms, although the watering frequencies are only indicative and should be adapted to your climate.
Source: JardineriaOn
