Alluaudia Procera 300mm

🌵 Alluaudia procera

Common Name: Madagascar Ocotillo, African Ocotillo, Madagascar Thorn Tree
Family: Didiereaceae
Origin: Endemic to southern Madagascar, where it grows in arid, spiny forests

📏 Physical Description

• Growth Habit:
  A deciduous, upright succulent shrub or small tree that can grow up to 15 meters (50 feet) tall in the wild, but usually reaches 2–5 meters (6–16 feet) in cultivation.
  Has a distinctive, vertical branching pattern, often resembling a leafy cactus or ocotillo, though it is not closely related.

• Stems:
  Tall, narrow, gray-green cylindrical stems lined with evenly spaced stout spines (1–2 cm long).
  The stems are photosynthetic, helping the plant survive dry periods when it drops its leaves.

• Leaves:
  Small, rounded, bright green leaves grow in pairs along the stems between the spines.
  Deciduous in dry conditions, the plant sheds leaves to conserve moisture and survives using stem photosynthesis.

🌸 Flowers

• Appearance:
  Tiny, inconspicuous greenish-yellow to white flowers typically appear at the branch tips.
  Flowers are usually produced on mature plants, especially in warm, bright conditions.

• Pollination:
  In its native range, it is pollinated by insects and possibly lemurs; rarely flowers indoors or in pots.

🌱 Care and Cultivation

• Light:
  Requires full sun to thrive—ideal for hot, sunny spots.
  Indoors, place near the brightest window, preferably with several hours of direct sunlight.

• Watering:
  Water deeply but infrequently. Allow soil to dry completely between waterings.
  In winter or dry dormancy, water very sparingly.

• Soil:
  Needs excellent drainage. Use a gritty cactus/succulent mix with added sand or pumice.

• Temperature:
  Thrives in warm climates.
  Ideal range: 21–30°C (70–86°F)
  Frost-sensitive: protect from temperatures below 5°C (41°F).

• Humidity:
  Prefers dry air; thrives in arid or semi-arid environments.

• Feeding:
  Fertilize sparingly—once per month in spring/summer with a cactus fertilizer.

• Pruning:
  Minimal pruning required. Can be lightly shaped or cut back to control height or promote branching.

• Propagation:
  Grown from cuttings or seeds, though cuttings can take time to root. Use gloves—spines are sharp!

✅ Quick Care Summary

RequirementDetailsLightFull sun (indoors or outdoors)WaterInfrequent; allow soil to dry completelySoilGritty, well-draining cactus mixTemperature21–30°C; protect from frostHumidityLow; prefers dry airGrowth HabitUpright, columnar, tree-like succulentPropagationCuttings or seeds

✅ Perfect For:

• Xeriscapes and arid gardens

• Architectural containers and patio displays

• Modern interiors with lots of sunlight

• Collectors of rare or Madagascar-native plants