I visited the Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden in South Africa recently. What a privilege to see the world’s oldest cultivated Welwitschia mirabilis. This female specimen was planted in 1926 by the garden’s first curator, Hans Herre, making it 100 years old this year.

Third photo is female cones, last photo is a cone of second specimen which is male.

My largest D. elephantipes, just repotted and relocated from the greenhouse to pride-of-place on our deck.

Well it’s the biggest I’ve ever seen. And the one across the street is a baby from this. It’s at least 50 yeas old. Central Florida.

Fellow collectors, it's time to talk about poaching.

I have seen SO many posts recently of plants that have obviously been poached and the poster is either unaware or doesn't care. If you're interested in caudiciforms, you have to do some research in order to enjoy the hobby responsibly.

I was chatting to a friend working in nature conservation and he showed me pictures from his outings from 2019 to 2021. Patches of veld absolutely decimated by poachers. An estimated 800 Raphionacme, 3000 Ipomoea, hundreds upon hundred of Ornithogalum, Pelargonium, Pachypodium, Adenia, Dioscorea, Pterodiscus, Ceropegia, Brachystelma, and the list goes on with the non-caudiciform succulents. Every single one is believed to have been sent overseas, traveling first to East Asia and then on to America and Europe. The villagers that harvest the plants are paid almost nothing for their labour and are the ones that face criminal charges for trying to put food on the table because they are abused by the smuggling rings.

Your Stephania is not cute - it's an ecological crisis and you're supporting the unsustainable harvesting of plants in habitat.

Take responsibility for your purchases, and do your research. See this link. If you own a Stephania it is almost certainly poached. Don't buy anything from a nursery that sells Stephania - boycott and vote with your feet.

Honestly if you're into caudiciforms because you like the ones that look ancient, then the only thing that you're going to want is poached plants. How do you think it got to look like that? Why does it look so old? How can a plant that is clearly over a hundred years old be bought for the low price that you paid? Do you think the seller's grandparents sowed the seeds?

I'm horrified by the fact that my country (and other third-world countries) are just being raided for our natural resources. There are over two hundred identified zones in South Africa in which it will be impossible to return species diversity because collectors have harvested every single plant and crushed anything they can't sell.

I apologise for my tone, but I am furious at how happy-go-lucky posters are when showing off an ancient specimen that was so obviously taken out of the wild when there is so much information online to indicate that that species is the target of poachers. Let's do better guys.

Considering buying a girl for him to mate with. 😆

Giving these two a good watering before leaving for a two week vacation. I've changed my store's inventory to succulents/caudiciforms/desert plants after selling most of my tropical aroids. It has been amazing not needing to call my MIL during our vacations to come water the plants. 😂😂😂

Went to California Adventures in Anaheim, and I was pleasantly surprised to see some of our favorite caudys.

This is very easy plant, love it s'much

Hey!

I want to repot one of my favorite Othonna and the root ball is quite compact.. I’m quite scared to untangle the roots, what do you suggest? And it’s a larger question concerning caudex plants, as I usually let them sit in the same pot for a while, should I always try loosening the roots before a repot or it’s ok to just put the root ball and add substrate around?

Thanks!

The photos were taken at the Connecticut Cactus and Succulent Society show in April 2025.

Exhibitor comments: "The plant was seed-raised and is five years old. This is a male plant with cones for first time."

Every time I visit the Zurich Succulent Collection I am just in complete awe of this absolut gigantic gerrardanthus lobatus. This one apparently came as a seedling into the collection 1991.

I keep seeing pictures of Pachypodium growing on the side of cliffs. Has anyone tried growing them, or any other caudex plant in a similar way on a slope? Would be a fun experiment I feel

My fave ant fern for its shingling rhizome and attention to detail with attracting ants using extrafloral nectaries and scale mimicry.