Tylecodon paniculatus
| Light | Bright light to full sun; a sunny windowsill or lightly shaded greenhouse |
|---|---|
| Water | Winter-grower: water while in leaf (autumn–spring), keep dry through summer dormancy |
| Soil | Very free-draining, gritty mineral mix (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Keep frost-free; roughly USDA zones 10–11, best kept above freezing |
| Propagation | Seed and stem/branch cuttings |
| Toxicity | Toxic — contains bufadienolide cardiac glycosides; harmful to livestock, pets and people if eaten |
Tylecodon paniculatus, the botterboom ("butter tree" in Afrikaans), is a stout, caudex-forming succulent shrub from the winter-rainfall regions of South Africa and southern Namibia. It is the largest member of the genus Tylecodon, building a swollen, water-storing trunk clad in peeling, papery yellowish-green bark, and carrying a rosette of fleshy leaves through the cooler months that it sheds in summer.
Description
Tylecodon paniculatus is a deciduous succulent that can grow into a small tree up to about two metres tall, though potted plants usually stay far smaller. Its most distinctive feature is the thick, fleshy stem: greenish and swollen with stored water, and sheathed in a thin, translucent yellow-green bark that peels away in papery flakes — the trait that gives the plant its buttery common name.
Unlike most familiar succulents, it is a winter grower. Fleshy, spoon-shaped leaves flush at the branch tips in autumn and persist through winter and spring, then drop as the plant goes dormant in the heat of summer. The species is named for its large branching flower cluster (a panicle): tall reddish inflorescences rise above the bare stems in late spring and summer, carrying tubular, nodding flowers in dull red to orange-green tones.
Distribution and habitat
The botterboom is native to the arid winter-rainfall zone of the western and southern Cape of South Africa and into southern Namibia, including Namaqualand and the Karoo. It grows on rocky hillsides and open, well-drained ground, enduring hot, dry summers and receiving nearly all of its moisture as gentle winter rain — the rhythm that drives its unusual growing season.
Cultivation
The key to growing T. paniculatus is to respect its winter-growing, summer-dormant cycle, which is opposite to that of most cacti. Water it while it is in leaf, through autumn, winter and spring, letting the gritty mix dry out between waterings. As the leaves yellow and drop in early summer, taper off and keep the plant nearly dry until it wakes again in autumn; watering a dormant, leafless plant in summer heat is the quickest route to rot.
Give it the brightest position you can — full sun or a bright, airy windowsill — to keep the caudex fat and the growth compact. Plant in a snug pot of very free-draining, mostly mineral soil, and protect from frost. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
The species grows readily from seed sown onto a gritty, mineral surface and kept lightly moist during the cool growing season; see Propagation — seed. It can also be grown from stem or branch cuttings taken in the growing season and allowed to callus before rooting, though cutting-grown plants tend to lack the elegant swollen trunk of seed-raised specimens.
Common problems
- Rot — the commonest cause of loss, almost always from watering during summer dormancy or from a mix that holds too much moisture.
- Leaf drop out of season — a stressed or over/under-watered plant may shed early; a natural summer leaf drop, by contrast, is expected and healthy.
- Etiolation — too little light stretches the stems and thins the growth, spoiling the plant's stout habit.
- Pests — mealybugs (white fluff in leaf axils and on roots) are the usual nuisance; see Pests and diseases.
Toxicity
Like many of its relatives, Tylecodon paniculatus contains bufadienolide cardiac glycosides and is genuinely poisonous. In its native range grazing animals that eat Tylecodon and related plants can develop the serious neurological poisoning known locally as krimpsiekte. Keep the plant out of reach of pets and children, and wash your hands after handling cut stems or sap.
See also
- Tylecodon — the genus overview
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Repotting · Propagation — seed · Propagation — cuttings · Pests and diseases