In this month’s magazine Rachel Darlington outlines the weird and wonderful ways of her favourite caudex plants…
Also known as ‘fat-bottomed plants’, many of us can instinctively recognise a caudex plant by its naked, bulbous structure sitting proud of the soil. These curiosities of the botanical world are in big demand among plant-lovers who look for the unusual and trendy. It’s fair to say, though, that caudiciform plants are not to everyone’s taste. Often these bulbous, woody forms elicit questions rather than admiration. People are intrigued to learn how these bizarre plants have evolved to cope with the most hostile of environments and how their ingenious solutions have transformed their entire structure. When dormant, the large, gnarled and hardened caudex of a dioscorea, for example, can seem like a lump of volcanic rock. How amazing to learn that this is indeed a plant and one that can be grown on a windowsill or in a frost-free greenhouse!
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