Hoodia gordonii, packet of 5 seeds, Organic
$4.95
Family: Milkweed (Asclepiadaceae)
Hardy to Zones 9 to 13, otherwise grown in pots and brought in for the winter
Succulent perennial herb native to Southwestern Africa. Seed grown here in the USA (the plant is CITES listed). Grows to ~18 inches tall and forms clumps up to a foot wide. Traditional use: The herb is used by native peoples of the Kalahari during times of famine as a harmless appetite suppressant. Plant prefers full sun to part shade, dryish soils and truly does best in pots. Germination is relatively easy. Use standard cactus mix in a propagation flat or gallon pot. Lay the seeds on the surface of the mix and cover sparingly with coarse, sharp sand. Keep moist, in the light, and provide heat by means of solar greenhouse, sunlight and/or bottom heat at 80 degrees F. Hoodia makes a fine indoor plant and may be left in small pots in a light window. They thrive on minimal water.
5 seeds per packet, certified organically grown
A few other facts/bits of advice on hoodia:
- How to make them flower: I was a bit miffed when in June someone absolutely soaked my potted hoodias in the greenhouse, but the joke was on me, this caused them to flower gloriously!
- Another way to successfully plant the seeds: Plant on surface of soil and cover with 1/4 inch of sand mixed with a little coir. Water the flat twice daily–a higher moisture content is important for good germination. Once the seedlings are up (3 to 5 days) back off on the watering, to prohibit damping off.
Out of stock
Tanya –
When do you expect to have these seeds in stock again?
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Richo Cech –
Hello Tanya, Unknown, as they are CITES listed so can’t be exported from S. Africa, which means we’re waiting on our mother plants to produce. We’ve noticed they do so better when the pots are put outdoors, so we’ll do that in the spring and keep our fingers crossed, richo
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Tristan (verified owner) –
I followed the description steps but I added plastic wrap with rubber bands over the top of the pot to hold in the moisture with no airflow, similar to how you would with peyote in peat moss. The seeds started sprouting 2 days after seeding and then every day after. 5 seeds planted total. The outdoor temp has been around 80-90 F. It is nice seeing sprouts so quick. This is the go-to low budget method for success with a variety of plants.
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Richo Cech –
Tristan, Thanks for writing and taking good care of the hoodia babies, good start, watch out for damping off. r
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Question
Luis Soto (verified owner) –
Hey Rich. What size pot do you recommend for final planting of this plant?
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Richo Cech –
Hi Luis, They appreciate root backpressure so I personally work them up slowly, from 4 inch at first on up to 3 gal. richo
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Luis (verified owner) –
Richo, are these 3 individual seedlings I can later divide and transplant or will it grow into 1 single plant?
They’ve been this small for a while now – about a month with insignificant growth. Should they be in full sun? Also, how often should it be watered?
Thanks in advance for your timely cooperation.
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Richo Cech –
Hi Luis,
If the hoodia seedlings are not growing it could be a sign that it is time to individuate them and plant them to 4 inch pots, which often pushes the reset button on them and gets them started again. if you tease the seedlings apart, you will know how many you have. When the plants are growing fast they can withstand and utilize water every 3 days or so. If they’re in a muggy funk, don’t water them, it could be fatal. In any case an extremely fast-draining mix composed mainly of fine white pumice is crucial. r
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Ramona Campbell –
Just another house plant grower’s opinion on these little dudes. I had one thumb-sized start, sitting in a small pot, that would not grow. I finally dumped the soil out to find that someone had filled the pot mostly full of mason sand. The roots do not like mason sand. Cactus Plant Mix to the rescue, I now have a very healthy Hoodia, that is putting out cool limbs on the sides of the stems this year, with new growth all around. Don’t give up!
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Question
jasperdshide (verified owner) –
My seedlings show a very clear difference between the initial sprout and where the adult growth began. Will that thin seedling tissue thicken up or be replaced?
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Richo Cech –
Thanks for the great photo. The smooth basal portion is characteristic to the plant and tends to persist although it will eventually be superseded. r
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jasperdshide (verified owner) –
Every seed sprouted within three days of planting, and I’ve found the seedlings to be remarkably resilient in terms of tolerating over- and underwatering (not that I’d recommend either!)
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Eddie Spohn (verified owner) –
Seeds germinated in two days in plastic baggies placed on a heat mat set for 80 degrees Fahrenheit. All of them sprouted, not a dud in the bunch. That’s impressive in a natural product like seeds. Much respect, Richo, and thanks for helping me add another cool plant to my collection.
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