Madagascar Palm Cactus (Pachypodium lamerei)

[Ira Runyan]

About 20 years ago, I bought my wife a Madagascar Palm Cactus (Pachypodium lamerei) that was about 3 feet in height. It has a thick trunk covered with vary sharp thorns, and on the top of the trunk are some long green leaves that make the plant look like a palm tree. The leaves drop off in the winter months so all you see then is thorns. The plant is now about 7 ½ foot tall, and for the first time in 20 years it is about to produce some white flowers.


Trunk:



Leaves at top of the Trunk:



Flower Buds:

[frank]

Ira, that is one mean looking tree!!! What kind of body protection do you wear when maintaining it???
Be certain to post photos of the flower blossoms.

[Ira Runyan]

Jun 7, 2017 13:20:40 GMT -5 frank said:

Ira, that is one mean looking tree!!! What kind of body protection do you wear when maintaining it???
Be certain to post photos of the flower blossoms.

Well Frank, there is no easy body protection for this plant. The best you can do is wrap the trunk with newspaper and wear heavy gloves. Even with that you are not guaranteed protection from those thorns. Then on the other hand, there is not much maintaining required for this plant.

[Ira Runyan]

Well, one of the flower buds opened up. The flower is an unimpressive white flower about 2" across. It looks like a plumeria but has no scent.

 

[Tim Abbott]

Neet plant. I think I saw one of those in Cocoa Beach, it was quite large, very unique.

[frank]

I couldn't help but notice some similarities between your Madagascar palm and a Plumeria. The similarities are in the plants shape, the leaf shape and how they grow arrayed from the end of a branch and even the flower buds and flowers are somewhat similar. These similarities are most probably due to both plants being members of the Apocynaceae (Dogbane)family.
Thanks for posting the photos.