Tylecodon bucholzianus

Tylecodon bucholzianus is a strange little succulent bush, resembling coral with its swollen base and short, stout branches, bearing few or no leaves! The green-grey, cylindrical, smooth stems are curved to erect and punctuated with brown foliar scars. Native to South Africa, it becomes dormant to survive dry and hot summers and develops in winter when the weather becomes milder and more humid. In summer, it bears delicate and airy clusters of small, erect flowers with white reflexed petals. Being very small and frost-sensitive, it is a species that should be cultivated in a pot in a well-draining and light substrate.

Tylecodon bucholzianus is a succulent plant belonging to the vast family of Crassulaceae. It grows along the coast in the arid Karoo region. It can be found in crevices and on rocks, exposed to significant fog in winter during which time it grows. It is a plant with a caudex, a swollen stem that serves as a water reserve, allowing it to withstand drought and heat. Frost-sensitive, it tolerates low temperatures down to a minimum of 1°C (33.8°F), especially if the soil is perfectly drained and dry. Cultivate it in a pot, in full sun or partial shade, in a well-draining, sandy substrate composed of equal parts of potting soil, sand, and topsoil.

Tylecodon bucholzianus is a very uncommon succulent plant, appreciated for its strange appearance. It is a perennial succulent shrub with an upright and compact habit. It is a small size, reaching only 30 cm (12in) in all directions. It has a very brittle structure composed of a caudex, a wide and thick stem, bearing fleshy, cylindrical branches of 2 cm (1in) in diameter, ending in a point. Its epidermis is green-grey and marked with brown foliar scars. If present, its foliage appears in late spring in various forms depending on the individual. Sometimes it is fleshy, linear, 0.5 to 4 cm (0.2 to 2in) long, and quickly falls off. In other cases, the pointed ends of the branches are adorned with small reddish bracts that persist during the dormant season. The plant blooms in late summer from August to September, offering short and delicate terminal clusters of erect flowers, 0.5 cm (0.2 in) long, with white reflexed petals.

Tylecodon bucholzianus should be planted in a pot that should not be watered once the first heat arrives, until autumn. It can be paired with other succulent species of the same origin, such as Anacampseros or Conophytums, to create miniature desert gardens, or it can be placed alone in a pot to decorate a windowsill or a corner of a patio.