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MilkWeed: Plant Porn

Sedum multiceps

For those of you who fancy yourself a card-carrying plant nerd (or aspire to be one), allow me to sing the praises of some truly geek-worthy modern varieties.

Sedum multiceps

Sedum multiceps

Sedum multiceps

This little buddy is a Sedum multiceps, affectionately referred to as the Pygmy Joshua Tree. I swooned the first time I found him (not an easy score) and remain as enchanted. My favorite way to showcase him is in a simple, mini landscape setting. Has a lovely bonsai, Zen-feel doesn’t it? But amazingly, he resides in the succulent family. Who knew?! Multiceps take a long nap half of the year but do not loose their tiny leaves.

Fockea edulis

Fockea edulis

Another Tend fave is the Fockea edulis. This is a caudiciform in the Pachyform genus, or “fat plant” because it stores water in a fat, woody caudex or tuber. These are super cool plants because their bases can look so gnarly and even ugly (to the untrained eye of course!) but they shoot out gorgeous, lush foliage that can vine endlessly (Google the Bowiea volubilis or “Sea Onion” if you want to see a real crazy caudiciform).

Fockea edulis

Many caudiciforms will go dormant part of the year only to explode with life when you are least expecting it. You can almost watch them by the hour when they are in their growing season! Here are a few more of my favorites, though I am discovering more all the time (thank you husband for surrendering our porch so long ago):

Trichoderma bulbosa

This Trichoderma bulbosa is another tree-like specimen (see distant cousin “Tillandsia bulbosa”) and beloved among plant collectors.

I have the good fortune of living in the same town as a lovely elderly man by the name of Rudy Lime. He has pioneered the “bonsai succulent” movement by training these types of succulents in the fashion of Japanese bonsai. Lucky for you, he has published two books on the subject: Pachyforms: A Guide to Growing Pachycaul and Caudiciform Plants Vol. I and Vol. II.

Identify these two beauties and all hail the Plant Geek:

opi

pachyform

Happy Holidays everyone! xoxo.