El Cyphostemma juttae It is a caudiciform plant (or plant with caudex) widely cultivated in regions with a warm and tropical climate. Its size, the light green color of its fleshy leaves, its striking fruits, as well as its interesting resistance to cold have made it a very loved species by all lovers of succulents.
It is also very adaptable, and can be kept both in a pot and in the garden. So, what are you waiting for to get one? Next I will tell you what its characteristics are.
El Cyphostemma juttae it's a kind of slow growing succulent plant belonging to the botanical family Vitaceae native to Africa, specifically Namibia. It was described by Dinter & Gilg in 1967. It is known as bastard cobas, wild grape, tree grape, and Namibian grape.
This striking plant grows to a height of 2 meters. Its trunk is very thick, up to 50cm. It is well protected by white, paper-like, whitish crusts. Thanks to them, you can protect yourself from excessive heat by reflecting sunlight.
Its leaves are more or less triangular in shape. They are fleshy, deciduous (fall in winter) of a light green color, with serrated margins. Finally, the flowers are not very visible. They are grouped in umbel-shaped inflorescences, and are yellowish. Once they are pollinated, the fruit begins to ripen, which is a red berry that finishes ripening towards the end of summer.
It is very resistant to pests and diseases, but you have to water it little to avoid rotting. The frequency will vary depending on the weather and where you are, but usually in summer you will need at least one watering weekly and the rest of the year every 15-20 days. It is also very important to plant it in a substrate with good drainage, such as the pumice so that the roots are well aerated.
For the rest, it can be grown outdoors all year long as long as there is no frost or it is down to -3ºC.