Madagascar palm
Pachypodium lamerei Drake
Not a true palm. Included because nurseries still sell it as one, and because it is a common indoor “palm look” plant.
Madagascar palm overview
A spiny succulent sold as a palm. It is not in the palm family. USDA 10b to 11, damage near 40°F, and a decent houseplant in a bright window.
Region of origin
South-central and southern Madagascar
Native countries
Historical discovery
Emmanuel Drake del Castillo described Pachypodium lamerei in 1899 from southern Madagascar.
Names
Common names
Madagascar palm, Club foot, Pachypodium
Synonyms
- None widely used
Cold hardiness
Survives about 40°F / 4°C. Outdoor range USDA 10b–11b. Hover or click a zone, state, or country. Switch the U.S. map between states and hardiness zones.
Highlighted USDA zones 10b–11b. Green countries can be grown outdoors.
United States
In range Too cold
World
Native Can be grown
Alaska and Hawaii are state outlines with their overall zone range. A country is painted if its mildest inhabited winter is at least one USDA step milder than this palm’s hardiness.
Scientific facts
- True palms are Arecaceae. This is Apocynaceae, closer to plumeria and oleander than to a coconut.
- The swollen trunk stores water. The spines are real. The milky sap is irritating and toxic if chewed.
- Indoors it stays a few feet. In frost-free ground it can pass 15 feet.
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Other helpful resources
Full care guide
Madagascar palm is the spiny, bottle-trunk plant on the houseplant bench with a palm-like tuft on top. It is not a palm. It is a succulent in the dogbane family. Think USDA 10b to 11 outdoors, or a bright window indoors. Leaves drop in a chill, and frost usually finishes it.
Common Names:
Madagascar palm, club foot, pachypodium.
Scientific Name:
Pachypodium lamerei Drake. Same family as plumeria and oleander, not coconut.
Origin:
South-central and southern Madagascar, in dry forest and rocky slopes. The nursery plant is the same species, grown as a houseplant and a frost-free landscape succulent.
Appearance:
A thick, spiny, silver-green trunk that looks like a club or a bottle, with a crown of long, narrow leaves. White, pinwheel flowers show up on older plants in strong light. The sap is milky.
Growth Rate:
Slow to moderate in heat and sun. Slow and leafless if the pot stays cold or wet.
Max Growth Height:
Houseplants are often 3 to 6 feet. In the ground in frost-free climates they can reach 15 to 20 feet.
Foliage Spread:
The crown is usually 2 to 6 feet. Give it room to the sides because the spines catch clothes and pets.
Cold Hardiness and Hardiness Zone:
Best in USDA 10b to 11. Damage starts near 40°F (4°C), especially if the soil is wet. A light frost can kill it. Zone 9 and 10a are indoor or patio plants that come inside for winter, not landscape trees.
Soil Type:
Gritty, fast-draining cactus or succulent mix. A palm in wet potting soil rots. This plant does the same, faster.
Fruit and Flowering:
White flowers, then paired seed pods on mature plants with enough sun. Indoor plants often never bloom.
Can it Grow Indoors:
Yes, if it gets a very bright window or grow lights. A dim corner makes a skinny, floppy stem and then a dead one. Keep it away from cold glass in winter.
Light Requirements:
Full sun outdoors. Indoors, the brightest south or west window you have. Thin, stretched growth means it wants more light.
Water Requirements:
Soak, then let the mix dry before you water again. In winter, water even less. Soggy soil is the usual way people kill it.
Maintenance Level:
Low. No palm fertilizer. A light cactus or succulent feed in spring and summer is enough. Gloves help when you repot. Do not snap the spines off to make it friendlier.
Common Diseases/Pests:
Mealybugs, scale, and spider mites on indoor plants. Root rot from wet mix. The sap can irritate skin and is toxic if chewed, so keep it away from kids and pets. Wild plants are CITES listed. Buy nursery-grown stock.
Plant Care:
Pot in cactus mix, full sun, water when dry. Outdoors only above the frost line in dry, drained ground. Bring patio plants in before nights hit the 40s. Do not treat it like an areca or majesty palm.
Madagascar palm Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Is Madagascar palm a real palm?
No. It is Pachypodium lamerei, a succulent in Apocynaceae. Nurseries sell it as a palm because of the tuft of leaves on a trunk.
2. Can I grow Madagascar palm indoors?
Yes, in a very bright window. Let the mix dry between waterings. It will not thrive in a dark living room the way a parlor palm might.
3. Is Madagascar palm toxic?
The milky sap is irritating and toxic if chewed. The spines puncture. Keep it out of reach of pets and small kids.
4. Can it live outside in zone 9?
Not as a landscape plant. Zone 9 winters drop well below 40°F. Grow it in a pot and bring it in, or pick a true cold-hardy palm.
If you want a spiny succulent that looks a little like a palm, this is the one. If you want an actual palm, pick an Arecaceae species that matches your winter.