Cephalopentandra ecirrhosa

Cephalopentandra ecirrhosa is a very unusual perennial, deciduous, plant to 1 m hight than develops with age a nice thick conical rootstock looking like a volcano with lava running down it, or a mountain shaped candle with melting wax coming down. The species epithet "ecirrhosa" means "without tendrils". It produces yellow flowers and very showy orange-red fruit. The Cephalopentandra is a popular caudiciform that becomes dormant in intense heat and cold. Cephalopentandra ecirrhosa grows relatively easily and doesn't produce as many stems and leaves as other cucurbits, making its management easier. Frost tolerance: keep warm in winter, the minimum safe average temperature is 15°C, although it can go lower for short periods. It can be grown outdoors in frost-free climates, need anyway to kept above 10°C and dry in winter. Exposition: It likes a sunny position but avoid direct blasting sun in summer. Keep the caudex in the shade. Watering: It should be watered regularly when it begins to produce leaves in spring/summer and kept drier in Winter. Make sure after watering, that the soil is actually wet. Many potting soil mixes will have only the surface wet, with water running down the outside of the root ball, and most of the soil dry. Run your finger into the soil 15 minutes after watering to check. Too high or too low temperature will induce dormancy.   Some of the information in this description has been found at desert-tropicals.com, llifle.com and cactus-art.biz