The succulent house at Madrid’s Royal Botanic Garden
The cactus and succulent house at the Royal Botanic Garden (Spanish National Research Council) on the Plaza de Murillo in Madrid is adjacent to the carnivorous plant exhibit that I featured in my last article. The structure itself was quite sizeable and well constructed. The roofing seemed to be made of some glass or polycarbonate material, which allows for good sunlight penetration. The sides of the greenhouse can be opened most of the year to allow more air circulation inside to refresh the plants. These side windows are shut tight during cold winter days, as cacti and succulents require a minimum temperature to stay alive and healthy. Undue exposure to very cold temperatures could result in epidermal damage or even the total loss of cacti and succulents, especially the more sensitive species.
The succulent house showcased a good selection of common as well as rarer species from across the Americas and Africa. There were the usual golden barrels (Echinocactus grusonii), Ferocacti and some very tall and old Cereus and Cephalocereus specimens. Yuccas and other desert dwellers were all well represented. There was a nice exhibit of specimens of Haworthias, Gasterias, Euphorbias and Mammillarias. Most of these must have been quite old. Some of the plant labels had outdated (wrong) names on the plants. For example, there was a nice clump of Haworthia cymbiformis wrongly labeled Haworthia retusa. There was also a nice flowering specimen of Notocactus magnificus labeled Parodia magnifica (this may have been the old name for this taxon).
The more thrilling part of this exhibit, for me, was seeing the very difficult-to-grow (here in tropical countries, anyway) mesembryanthemum specimens of Lithops and Conophytums from South Africa. These plants, which mimic little stones and pebbles in their natural habitats, are beautiful yet quite temperamental in their growth habits. The Lithops, which are summer growers, were clearly turgid and in full growth. The even more difficult Conophytums, which are winter growers, were mostly wrapped in their old papery skins and were clearly dormant. Incidentally, I am currently conducting a few “experiments” with both Lithops and Conophytums here in Makati, and should be reporting on my progress (or lack of it) with these beasties probably by early next year. My first experiment with these plants several years ago met with disastrous results. But as of this writing, the new experiments, which I started early this year, are meeting with some minor successes. Stay tuned on this one.
Getting back to the Botanic Garden’s exhibits, I was quite pleasantly surprised to see another rarer plant on display, Larryleachia (formerly Trichocaulon) cactiforme. The genus Larryleachia was erected by Plowes in honor of Leslie (Larry) Leach, an English-born electrical engineer and self-taught botanist who moved to Zimbabwe and became a specialist in Asclepiads and Euphorbias. This plant is quite difficult to grow and requires very careful watering and a porous substrate, which allows excess water to drain quickly. If its roots are left standing in wet soil for any lengthy period of time, this plant will quickly disintegrate into mush. The specimen in the Botanic Garden was a particularly large and impressive one.
The folks at the Succulent house who planned and planted out the various species in this exhibit were quite knowledgeable. They grouped the more common, easier-to-grow species like the Cereus, Echinocactus, Mammillarias, Haworthias, etc., together in specific areas in the exhibit. Then they grouped the much harder-to-grow, testier species like the Lithops, Conophytums and Larryleachias together in another area. Doing this would allow them to better manage and grow the plants. The plants in the easier-to-grow areas could receive more watering and feeding, while the more difficult plants are given less water and feeding.
I immensely enjoyed that afternoon visit to Madrid’s Royal Botanic Garden. While I only highlighted the plants of particular interest to me during these last two columns, they were but a small piece of what the Garden has to offer. Outside the greenhouses, well-planned, beautifully hedged and manicured plantings of temperate species abounded across several hectares. There are also other specialized glass enclosures where various tropicals were housed, including a nice collection of palm trees and ferns. If you’re in Madrid and want to spend just a relaxing day away from the usual tourist trappings, then a visit to the Botanic Garden will do the trick quite nicely. Then, if too much relaxation overcomes you (or if your kids get too rowdy and want to do other things quickly), you can step out of the Garden’s gates onto a bustling avenue where retail shops, ice cream stands and some of the greatest museums in the world are found.
