Episode 117: Euphorbias and other succulents with Bob Potter
A selection of treasures from Bob Potter’s glasshouse. Photograph: jane Perrone
Transcript
Subscribe to On The Ledge via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Player FM, Stitcher, Overcast, RadioPublic and YouTube.
Bob Potter’s glasshouse is packed with succulent treasures. Photograph: Jane Perrone.
Bob Potter has been growing succulents since he was a child helping his grandfather in the garden. He spent 35 years running the nursery Toobees Exotics, and although the nursery closed in 2016, Bob is still active in the succulent community, including his role as treasurer of the International Euphorbia Society.
He specialises in growing succulents from Madagascar and South Africa, which includes some very fascinating caudiciform (fat-bodied) plants and spiny succulents!
I first met Bob at Cactusworld Live in September and I visited his glasshouse in Surrey in the UK earlier this month to chat about all things succulent.
Thanks to Bobby Ho for appearing in this week’s Meet the Listener. His Aroid Adoration Facebook group is here.
Here’s a list of the plants we mention and the issues we discuss in our chat…
Cyphostemma juttae. Photograph: Jane Perrone.
Bob Potter in his greenhouse. Photograph: Jane Perrone.
Kalanchoe orgyalis. Photograph: Jane Perrone.
One of the first succulents Bob grew as a child was Chamaecereus silvestrii, the peanut cactus.
Bob grows many fascinating caudiciform or fat-bodied plants, including Xerosicyos pubescens from Madagascar. He keeps his glasshouse at around 16/17C all year round.
Fockea edulis is another caudiciform succulent from South Africa. Bob points out that in their native habitat the caudex is usually mostly hidden from view underground.
Bob also grows Pachypodium brevicaule and Pachypodium densiflora
Euphorbia aureoviridiflora comes from the north of Madagascar
One of the most popular Euphorbias is Euphorbia milii aka crown of thorns, the super-spiny succulent grown for its beautiful flowers - there are loads of cultivars due to intensive breeding. Euphorbia milii var. splendens (syn E. spendens) is also very popular.
Monadenium spinescens from Tanzania is now officially classed as a Euphorbia but Bob doesn’t agree with this reclassification!
Euphorbia venenifica from West Africa is a columnar Euphorbia that can become treelike in its native home.
I fell in love with the giant leaved Cyphostemma juttae!
Alluaudia humbertii is a super-spiny succulent from Madagascar.
Bob pots all his plants into pure pumice as a growing medium, because it is very free draining which avoids root rot problems, promotes a good root system, and you can see when it dries out as it turns very pale. He finds it easier to repot as roots come away from pumice more easily. Bear in mind that plants in pure pumice do need to be fed a lot more as the pumice holds no nutrients.
HEALTH WARNING: Take care when handling Euphorbias as they contain a milky sap which is toxic and an irritant to skin and eyes. They are also toxic to pets if eaten. Euphorbia abdelkuri from Socotra Island is particularly poisonous.
If you are starting out with Euphorbias, Euphorbia obesa from South Africa is a great place to start, and is produced by the million, although it is endangered in its habitat.
Euphorbia antefaciensis looks like a tiny version of E. milii with lemon yellow flowers.
The plant that I describe as a “mess of spaghetti” is actually a Syrigia from Madagascar!
Dorstenia gigas from Sukotra gets 3.5 m high in the wild and the trunk can get 1m fat.
Euphorbia gymnocalycioides from resembles The cactus genus Gymnocalycium.
One plant that’s a bit of a pest in Bob’s glasshouse is mother of millions, Kalanchoe daigremontiana, although this plant is now rare in its native home.
Kalanchoe orgyalis (copper spoons) from Madagascar is a wonderfully tactile furry succulent.
Want to learn more about the succulents of Madagascar and South Africa? Join the British Cactus and Succulent Society and the International Euphorbia Society to access loads of great advice and expertise on caring for these plants.
Photograph: Jane Perrone.
Question of the week
Mossing pins. Photograph: Jane Perrone.
The Scented Gent wanted to know how to get his Monstera adansonii to climb up a moss pole. I recommend getting hold of some mossing pins aka German pins, which can easily be sourced online, or even better from your local florist! The stems can then be anchored into place on the pole, just make sure you don’t crush the stems - you can widen the ‘u’ shape if you need to! It also helps to keep the coir/moss moist by misting to encourage adventitious roots to clamp on.
If you have an obelisk or trellis you’d like a trailing plant to climb up, try using the tiny clips that are used to hold moth orchids onto their stakes - or you can buy teeny tiny hair clips!
Want to ask me a question? Email ontheledgepodcast@gmail.com. The more information you can include, the better - pictures of your plant, details of your location and how long you have had the plant are always useful to help solve your issue!
HOW TO SUPPORT ON THE LEDGE
Contributions from On The Ledge listeners help to pay for all the things that have made the show possible over the last few years: equipment, travel expenses, editing, admin support and transcription.
Want to make a one-off donation? You can do that through my ko-fi.com page, or via Paypal.
Want to make a regular donation? Join the On The Ledge community on Patreon! Whether you can only spare a dollar or a pound, or want to make a bigger commitment, there’s something for you: see all the tiers and sign up for Patreon here.
The Crazy Plant Person tier just gives you a warm fuzzy feeling of supporting the show you love.
The Ledge End tier gives you access to two extra episodes a month, known as An Extra Leaf, as well as ad-free versions of the main podcast on weeks where there’s a paid advertising spot, and access to occasional patron-only Zoom sessions.
My Superfan tier earns you a personal greeting from me in the mail including a limited edition postcard, as well as ad-free episodes.
If you like the idea of supporting On The Ledge on a regular basis but don't know what Patreon's all about, check out the FAQ here: if you still have questions, leave a comment or email me - ontheledgepodcast@gmail.com. If you're already supporting others via Patreon, just click here to set up your rewards!
If you prefer to support the show in other ways, please do go and rate and review On The Ledge on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you listen. It's lovely to read your kind comments, and it really helps new listeners to find the show. You can also tweet or post about the show on social media - use #OnTheLedgePodcast so I’ll pick up on it!
CREDITS
This week's show featured the tracks Roll Jordan Roll by the Joy Drops, An Instrument the Boy Called Happy Day Gokana by Samuel Corwin, Chiefs by Jahzzar and Endeavour by Jahzzar, and Overthrown by Josh Woodward. All tracks are licensed under Creative Commons.
Logo design by Jacqueline Colley.