I bought this Pachypodium succulentum x. bispinosum at the 2023 CSSA (Cactus and Succulent Society of America) convention in Colorado Springs. I wrote about it then and mentioned how the names given to cactus and succulents are based on their characteristics, in this case the pairs of spines that give it its name bispinosum. Note the bi and spino in its name, which means two spines.
Well, today I visited the greenhouse to discover it is now blooming! This picture is a little dark, but I wanted to show the trumpet shape of the flower.
This is a better shot from the front. You can also see some of the caudex, typical of this plant.
This plant is found almost exclusively in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa where it likes to grow in stony places. Wearing gloves is suggested when pruning it to keep the latex sap off your hands, as some people are allergic to it, and it will burn skin, nor do you want to lick it off your fingers as it could upset your stomach. It can tolerate light frost, but prefers to be warm, so I left it in the greenhouse these last two nights when we had those unexpected cold mornings.
So I have hopes that next year it will be covered with more flowers. Well, at least a few more.
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