Synonyms:

Geranium spinosum
Monsonia burmanni
Monsonia crassicaulis
Sarcocaulon burmanni
Sarcocaulon spinosum

Habitat:

Sarcocaulon crassicaule is native to Cape Provinces and Namibia where the plant grows in dry semi-desert area and in rocky soils and can spread up to 1220 m of altitude.

Description:

Sarcocaulon crassicaule is a perennial shrub succulent belonging to the Geraniaceae botanical family. The plant has a cluster habit and branches from the base. The stem is woody, stout, rigid with a greyish to olive green bark and can reach up to 8 cm in diameter and 50 cm in diameter. The branches are covered with a translucent and inflammable wax. All along the stem are located the spines. The spines are thin, up to 4 cm long, straight and greyish in color. The leaves are deciduous and fleshy and there are two different types of leaves. The long petioled leaves are single and hardening into spines. The short petioled leaves are elliptic and grow in group at the axilla of the long thorns. During drought periods the plant drop its leaves. Blooming occurs from autumn to late spring and blossoms are borne at the apex of the stem by 4 cm tall stalks. The flowers are saucer shape, white to yellowish, large and showy with yellow stamen at the center of the tube. The plant resembles a small tree and is very suitable for bonsai but always an attractive plant.

Cultivation:

Sarcocaulon crassicaule is a perennial shrub succulent belonging to the Geraniaceae botanical family. The plant has a cluster habit and branches from the base. The stem is woody, stout, rigid with a greyish to olive green bark and can reach up to 8 cm in diameter and 50 cm in diameter. The branches are covered with a translucent and inflammable wax. All along the stem are located the spines. The spines are thin, up to 4 cm long, straight and greyish in color. The leaves are deciduous and fleshy and there are two different types of leaves. The long petioled leaves are single and hardening into spines. The short petioled leaves are elliptic and grow in group at the axilla of the long thorns. During drought periods the plant drop its leaves. Blooming occurs from autumn to late spring and blossoms are borne at the apex of the stem by 4 cm tall stalks. The flowers are saucer shape, white to yellowish, large and showy with yellow stamen at the center of the tube. The plant resembles a small tree and is very suitable for bonsai but always an attractive plant.

Propagation:

Propagation can be done by cutting or by seed. By cutting you can make the cut during the spring and then let the cutting dry; after a few days the cut surface will dry and a callus will form, then place the cutting in a mixture of sand, soil and pumice. To increase the success of propagation you can make two or more cuttings at the same time. For cuttings it is recommended temperatures around 20 °C. By seed it is very simple to propagate the plant, it is enough to sow the seed in a sandy loam soil and keep it with a high level of humidity and at temperature of 14 C°.

Curiosity:

The name Sarcocaulon comes from the Greek words “sarkos”, which means “fleshy” and caulon, that is “stem”.

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