Madagascar Palm wilted over

Penny · Post by **Penny** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 4:04 am

I think this is a Madagascar palm cactus. Recently it has just wilted over. I propped it back up. Normally it it usually green but the base is more of a white/dead looking color, plus the leaves at the top have wilted. Please...please let me know if there is anything I could do to save it.

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MichaelCactus · Post by **MichaelCactus** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:13 am

Your plant is some form of Euphorbia.
To me, its dead/dyeing of maybe Rot? If it is rot, id cut the top green part off, let it callous over and replant it.

But please do not listen to me, as im only new to this. Someone else will be able to help you out much better.

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:07 am

Your plant is a Pachypodium. not in the best shape either. info about your' conditions would be most helpful in prescribing its complaint. it could be anything from lack of light... overwatering.. underwatering etc.

mughal113 · Post by **mughal113** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:10 am

I think the roots are gone...

CoffeeAddict · Post by **CoffeeAddict** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:33 am

Pachypodium Lamerii. Doesn't look good. Just bought one though for about $6.

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 2:47 pm

I can't recall if it's all species or just some, but they can be winter growers and go dormant in the summer. If the plant has been watered sparingly overthe winter, it may be due to lack of water.

Pachypodiums can take and like more water than a cactus. When it's leaves start to get a little shriveled or droopy, it's time to water.

I hope your plant survives, but it's not looking good at this point. You may want to remove it from the pot and check it's root system. By the green at the top, it's trying to grow and that may be why the base is so thin and shriveled. It's using up all it's reserves to grow.

ihc6480 · Post by **ihc6480** » Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:36 pm

Yep, seen one just like that

I had one and it looked exactly like that when we got some unexpected cold. Not cold enough for frost but it still died never the less.

Of course that might not be your case but it doesn't look good for your plant.

Penny · Post by **Penny** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 12:20 am

Well...I'm going to try to cut the top of the cactus off. Crossing my fingers that the top cutting will survive. I read that every part of this plant is poisonous so I'll be careful of that too. Never made a cutting of a cactus so please let me know some pointers. So far they say to not plant it for two weeks and let it callous but not let it shrivel up (I guess mist it?). Please let me know pretty soon. I just hate to loose my cactus

Thank you everyone for your input!!! Much appreciated!!

hegar · Post by **hegar** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 4:04 am

Your plant does indeed not look very promising for a rescue mission. To me it seems like the roots have rotted and the rot has entered the stem of the plant. Is the discolored part soft? It does look shrivelled. Usually, the cause of a rot is overwatering. With the rot - if that is what is actually causing the plant to wilt and fall over - the causal organism, most likely a bacterium, will move upward toward the top of your plant. With a cactus you can sometimes still save the plant by cutting the healthy part off a good inch or so above the point where there is still a vascular discoloration. Then you would let the healthy piece air dry until the cut end has well calloused over. You could then apply a rooting hormone at the cut end to encourage a quicker formation of roots. The rooting hormone I use called "Rootone" also does contain a fungicide, which assists with keeping the plant from being invaded by soil-borne fungi. The leaves I would cut off near the stem, because they will only speed up the loss of water out of the cut stem piece.

Harald

P.S.: I cannot guarantee that your plant will survive, but I would do what I explained above.

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 4:16 am

has anyone here had any success rooting Pachypodium cuttings? have not tried, but it seems to be possible:
http://www.cacti101.com/articles/idx/12 ... pt_sid=8f5...
i'd assume that you follow the basic principles as you would when propagating real cacti from cuttings, ie., allow to callous before planting etc, but perhaps Pachypodiums do not have as much water reserves as cacti do. (someone with more experience with these plants will be able to provide more information).

also, where is the plant situated?, it could also be due to an unhealthy environment (eg. lack of light, overheating, too cold, overwatering causing root rot, underwatering causing shrivelling when the plant is trying to grow etc etc). is it near a window with sufficient natural light?

MichaelCactus · Post by **MichaelCactus** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 5:43 am

Hahaha i told you not to listen to me Penny

parrotsheaven · Post by **parrotsheaven** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 6:31 am

Penny wrote:Well...I'm going to try to cut the top of the cactus off. Crossing my fingers that the top cutting will survive. I read that every part of this plant is poisonous so I'll be careful of that too. Never made a cutting of a cactus so please let me know some pointers. So far they say to not plant it for two weeks and let it callous but not let it shrivel up (I guess mist it?). Please let me know pretty soon. I just hate to loose my cactus

Thank you everyone for your input!!! Much appreciated!!

Good luck !!!!! use some hormone powder as this may help. I have not heard of a pachypodium being struck in this way, I do know that offshoots can be taken off and rooted, so why not this one.
Nearly all Pachypcdiums are summer growers that go dormant in winter except for p.namaquanum which can sometimes do as it pleases. It is suppose to be a winter grower and mine are in full leaf now and its summer

With pachypodium in winter it is important not to water especially if you get frosts as they will rot very quickly. Pahcy's usually let you know when they are going dormant by the leaves yellowing off it is then that I hold all water till they start to short again in spring.
As for being poisonous I would be dead long ago if they were

saying this I do not eat them. Make sure you wash you hands afterwards and you will be fine

Betty

Lewis_cacti · Post by **Lewis_cacti** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 8:31 am

MichaelCactus wrote:Hahaha i told you not to listen to me Penny

don't worry Michael.. you were half right!

and they do look Euphorbia-ish.

parrotsheaven wrote:

As for being poisonous I would be dead long ago if they were saying this I do not eat them. Make sure you wash you hands afterwards and you will be fine

i too have heard that they are poisonous. i have got the sap on my wrist once before by accident... it didnt seem to burn my skin or do anything but i washed it off anyway. They are nothing compared to Euphorbias.

parrotsheaven · Post by **parrotsheaven** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 10:17 am

[quote="Lewis_cacti"

i too have heard that they are poisonous. i have got the sap on my wrist once before by accident... it didnt seem to burn my skin or do anything but i washed it off anyway. They are nothing compared to Euphorbias.

Lewis its poisonous if eaten like so many great plants lol

I have to be careful with adeniums as they are. I forgot once and somehow fingers on lips. Urkk!!! it didn't taste very nice it was bitter

Buck Hemenway · Post by **Buck Hemenway** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 1:15 am

Penny,

Where do you live? If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, the cutting has a chance. If not, it is a big problem.

When you cut it, cut in to the still green part. The cut surface should be all green and fresh looking, if not cut higher until you get all green. Then dust it with rooting hormone (while it is still wet) and let the end dry completely for several days (4 or 5). Then plant it about 5 cm deep in dry cactus soil and let it alone for about a week. Then small waterings (just get it slightly damp) for one or two months. If it is going to grow, it will be evident by June. It wants warm to hot weather to start growing.

I've had mixed results, but some success with rooting these.