What is caudex plant?
Caudex plant, is also referred to as ‘Fat Plant’, has thick, fat stems/trunks/roots with few branches. This swollen root or stem is used for nutrient storage, allowing the plant to survive without water or nutrition thru the freezing winter or flaming summer. They grow and bloom again, using its stores for energy.
Do blueberry bushes have a caudex?
Many gardeners grow this decorative shrub without realizing that the plant forms an interesting and sometimes tangled caudex. This blueberry relative (Ericaceae) is an epiphyte—it grows on other plants for support—and sports beautiful dripping, papery red flowers.
What is a caudiciform plant?
Caudiciform plants form a caudex—a fat, swollen stem, trunk, or aboveground roots. Plants in this category sport colorful names like elephant’s foot, Buddha belly, pregnant onion, and turtle back. Caudiciform plants number in the hundreds, and almost as many gardening clubs are devoted to their unusual architectural forms.
