OK.. first question: plant in orange pot is a Yucca elata planted a bit too shallowly (roots showing), but seems pretty happy that way Pachys have pretty wimpy root systems, and besides, they don't seem to give the least bit concern to having them injured, cut, torn etc., as long as they aren't enormous roots (and never seen one with enormous roots). They are super easy to move (root-wise). Spines and weight are bit more of a problem, but I have a great pair of cactus mitts that allow me to pretty much grab any cactus I want (with the one exception of a Pereskia) and pick it up... then weight and balance are the other problem, and they can break in half easily, so you need some support (like a bag of wadded up newspapers sitting on my shoulder). Then I have to stake them up for a few months until their wimpy root system takes over again and secures the plant. Don't think I've seen too many P namaquanums that didn't have wavy leaves.. .that is their main attraction I think. whenever one of my Pachys freeze, the top dies, rots a bit, and I either ignore it, or cut it off an angle (so water will not sit on the cut surface).. .it heals over and 3/4 of the time at least two heads will reappear... the other 1 time just one appears off to the side giving the plant an offset look. I think if it weren't for damage, most Pachypodiums would never branch. The Pachy in the rock does have a smidgeon of soil in there with it... but it basically lives on moisture from watering and some minute amounts of fertilize I rain down upon it now and then. Probably would be happier with more... yet it blooms every year. P brevicaules can grow up to about 6" tall, but I have never seen one taller My plants are nothing... there are hundreds, if not thousands of Pachys in so Cal MUCH larger in MUCH smaller containers than mine. As I said, they have wimpy roots and don't seem the worse for wear being crammed into dinky pots.. the big problem is keeping them from toppling as they are super top heavy at that point. There is a species of Euphorbia called decaryi, too, though it doesn't look anything like a Pachypodium. There is a Euphorbia pachypoides that does look just like a Pachypoidum, though it has no spines I have seen variegated Pachy lamereis, but I dont' have one. Rainfall does not appear to be a big problem, though this is a constant drought climate and our yearly rainfall is usually less than 20". Problem is most of it comes in just a half dozen or so rainfalls, so we get a lot at a time but then go 6-9 months without a drop. Here's the cactus mitts... hard to find, but not expensive once you do... amazing invention! This is my branching plant out front right after the big freeze Here after I did a bit of surgery Here the following spring Here a few years later in winter showing the unleafy branches I also had this wonderful crested plant (pretty commonly available out here) Here a year and half later, grown to enormous proportions... almost to the point of being so large it might collapse under its own weight... see the 'normal' branch on the right side of it? Here it is in later winter with leaves just starting to come back... this is when one can see the crest the best But freeze 4 months later took this plant down... sigh.

I have lost of a lot of the S trifaciata species that way, but so far no other ones. Most of mine are planted in raised planters with normal potting soil and pumice added. But a few are in the regular clay soils here and most are doing OK... we'll see now that it's rained 4-6" here...

I've had them die too. Once they were thriving and I just got worried that in the front yard somebody would vandalize them ( having troubles with that back then) so I dug up a nice double and moved them to another yard. They never recovered. The one in the photo- had a tough time with this very wet winter. That and Decembers one 32f night killed off the top. Its alive,but hasn't yet sent out a bud. Its a potted plant. The one in ground I never moved ( it was puny then!) and took the chance on..has done fine. Same climate. So,you just have to take chances and if you get past the first couple of years I think you are good to go. The one in ground has been in their about 10-12 years now. You see them at Lowes at a good price- try again! MANY types of plants I have are second try (or more) and thriving.

Are you talking about Pachypodium lamerei? Not sure what the P stands for, but I do have a couple of Pachypodium lamerei, and they are very slow growing. I did not know that they made flowers, but the one in my front yard has been there for about six years, and then I got a larger one for the back yard (in a pot) about two or three years ago. Here's a large one I saw at the Los Angeles County Arboretum last year Is this the same plant? My biggest one is only 3-4 feet tall. We've had pretty normal August weather this year - maybe only a bit warmer than average.