Cyphostemma juttae Seeds | Tree Grape
LATIN NAME: Cyphostemma juttae
COMMON NAME: Tree Grape
Plant Profile
The tree grape is a Namibian succulent shrub with a swollen, peeling trunk and a crown of soft green leaves that appear with the summer rain. It grows in the arid northwest of Namibia, in Damaraland and near the Brandberg, on rocky slopes and dry river beds where rain falls in late summer and the rest of the year is hot and utterly dry. The trunk is the plant’s reservoir: a thick, bottle-shaped mass of water-storing tissue covered in pale, papery bark that peels off in sheets, branching near the top into a few short arms. The leaves are large, divided into leaflets, softly hairy and bright green, and they appear after rain and fall at the start of the dry season, leaving the bare trunk to stand through the winter. Small greenish flowers come with the leaves, followed by clusters of red to purple grapes. Every part of the plant is more or less poisonous, and the fruit should not be eaten.
Science & Biotechnology
Cyphostemma juttae is a caudiciform member of the grape family, one of a group of southern African species that have converted the vine habit of their relatives into a water-storing shrub. The trunk is not wood in the ordinary sense: it is parenchyma packed with mucilage, and it expands as the plant ages until it is wider than a person. The bark peels constantly, which is thought to shed heat and to remove epiphytes and climbing plants that would otherwise compete for water. The leaves are deciduous and appear within days of a good rain, and the plant completes its growth and flowering in a few weeks before the soil dries. Photosynthesis is carried on in the green stem as well as the leaves, which allows the plant to keep growing after the leaves have fallen. The red fruits are eaten by birds, which disperse the seed, but the seed coat is hard and germination in the wild depends on abrasion in flash floods.
Uses & Benefits
The plant is grown by collectors of caudiciform succulents, who value it for the sculptural trunk rather than for flowers, and large specimens are among the most sought-after plants in that hobby. It is a long-lived subject for a large pot or a raised bed in a dry, frost-free garden, where it can be grown hard and kept to a manageable size. In Namibia it is sometimes planted around homesteads as an ornamental, and the local name refers to the grape-like fruit. The fruit is toxic and has caused poisoning in livestock, and the sap can raise a rash, so it is not a plant for a garden with small children. It has no timber or food value. Its conservation in the wild is a concern, because large plants are dug up for the trade and grow very slowly from seed.
Growing from Seed
Sow fresh seed in late spring at 25 to 30 degrees in a very free-draining mix of grit, sand and a little loam, covering it lightly; germination takes two to four weeks and is usually reliable. Keep the seedlings in full light and water them sparingly, letting the mix dry between waterings. The caudex begins to swell in the second year, and the plant should be potted on into a mix that is at least half mineral grit. In summer, water thoroughly and then allow the soil to dry; in winter, when the leaves have fallen, keep the plant completely dry and cool but frost-free. Feed once a year with a low-nitrogen fertiliser. Do not bury the trunk: set it on the surface of the mix so that the swelling stays visible and the bark stays dry.
Our Take
A Namibian bottle-trunked succulent with soft green leaves after rain and a poisonous red grape. Dry winter, mineral soil, and patience.
Related Reading
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