Smooth caudex does not automatically mean poached
Central Florida…I’ve had these plants for 20 plus years and always have grown them with the intent of looking as
Close to the habitat as possible. This is the result. I’m not a botanist….It seems that the spines are connected deeper in the plant than the skin of the caudex…as the caudex grows the spines get “absorbed”. If you are north of me, use a grow light, water and fertilize on the regular then I can see
How you would get used to seeing plants covered in spines. A plant won’t develop a great caudex unless it has to.
The result can only be duplicated with time, care -boarding on neglect. They succumb to my ADD whims. We are in extreme drought…I’ve watered 4-5 times this year, they have never had fertilizer outside of aquarium water, they are in a pot until they can’t be anymore, never been butchered to increase caudex. I’ve included a couple of smaller ones that are on there way to having spineless caudex’s too. I think a better way of determine whether a plant has been poached or not is what the tap root looks like, it would be incredibly difficult to dig one out of a crack in the rock without cutting the taproot.
Hope the photos show the “absorbing” spines.