Tylecodon paniculatus seeds grow into the butter tree or candlewood — a slow-growing succulent shrub native to the desert and dry shrubland biome of South Africa and Namibia, growing in rocky Namaqualand, the Succulent Karoo and Little Karoo habitats. Originally described as Cotyledon paniculata by Linnaeus filius (L.f.) in Supplementum Plantarum (1782) and transferred to Tylecodon by Toelken (Helmut R. Toelken, 1938–2010). The epithet paniculatus means 'paniculate', referring to the large panicle of orange-red to red tubular flowers produced in summer when the plant is leafless. Produces a thick, fleshy, smooth-barked stem with a characteristic papery peeling outer skin; the leaves are large and fleshy but fall off completely in summer before the flowers appear — a classic example of summer-deciduous succulent behaviour. All parts are extremely toxic — contains bufadienolides (cardiac glycosides) that have caused livestock deaths in South Africa ('krimpsiekte'). Family Crassulaceae.Full sun; extremely well-drained rocky or sandy desert soils; dry summer dormancy (when leafless and flowering); very frost-sensitive. All parts EXTREMELY TOXIC to animals — do not plant in paddocks. 'Paniculatus' = paniculate; large panicle of orange-red flowers on leafless plant in summer Originally Cotyledon paniculata L.f. (1782); transferred by Toelken; peeling papery bark; summer-deciduous S. Africa and Namibia — desert or dry shrubland biome; Namaqualand, Succulent Karoo, Little Karoo ALL PARTS EXTREMELY TOXIC — bufadienolides; causes 'krimpsiekte' in livestock; cardiac glycosides Full sun; rocky desert soils; extremely drought-tolerant; frost-sensitive; Family Crassulaceae Tylecodon paniculatus is the butter tree — a slow-growing sculptural desert succulent from the rocky Karoo and Namaqualand whose summer flowering on a completely leafless stem, peeling papery bark and highly toxic cardiac glycosides make it one of the most dramatically unusual and dangerous-to-livestock plants of the South African desert flora. IMPORTANT: Pictures show the adult plant, which is not for sale. The offer is only for seeds.
