Diploid Cultivar HG-NC1 “San’s Prolific”
This cultivar was the most vigorous of the very few surviving seedlings produced from three large lots of seeds obtained from growers in Germany in 2004-2006. It formed many branches and cuttings made from them were much easier to root than other plants acquired from outside sources. At least six successive vegetative generations of plants were grown from this plant and many seed lots were produced from the cuttings. Testing of specimens of the cultivar grown in artificial cultivation confirmed its identity as Hoodia gordonii, and the presence of P-57 at a level similar to that of plants from wild sources.
These characteristics made this cultivar the most suitable stock for our research and plant breeding activities. The batch of seeds from which cultivar HG-NC1 was produced was treated with colchicine but polidy testing confirmed that it was diploid. Most of our tetraploid cultivars were derived from seeds of this first diploid cultivar.
Our provisional varietal name for this cultivar was “San’s Prolific”.
Original Seedling (F1) of Cultivar HG-NC1
 Original Seedling of Hoodia gordonii Cultivar HG-NC1 in 2006 |
Form and Shape
The stems of this cultivar have sharp thorns, are of relatively small diameter and have more branches off the main shoots than is typical of the species. The numerous branches facilitate harvesting of cuttings.
 Hoodia gordonii Cultivar HG-NC1 in Full Bloom |
Cutting grown plants have fewer roots and the branch structure is somewhat flaccid, requiring support for keeping the plant upright.
 Hoodia gordonii Cultivar HG-NC1 Cutting Grown Plant |
 Hoodia gordonii Cultivar HG-NC1 Cutting With Support |
Flowers of First Generation (F1)
The flowers of this cultivar are usually light beige but may be white, pink, tan or yellow-orange, sometimes on the same plant.
 Hoodia gordonii Cultivar HG-NC1 Typical Flower Bud |
 Hoodia gordonii Cultivar HG-NC1 Typical Flower |
 Hoodia gordonii Cultivar HG-NC1 Flower Yellow-Orange Form |
Flower Centers of First Generation (F1)
Below are the centers of flowers of this cultivar. Note that the floral anatomy did not change through five generations of plants grown from cuttings.
 Hoodia gordonii Cultivar HG-NC1 Flower Center Example 1 |
 Hoodia gordonii Cultivar HG-NC1 Flower Center Example 2 |
 Hoodia gordonii Cultivar HG-NC1 Fifth Generation Cutting Flower Center |
Flowers of Second (F2) Generations
Most of the flowers of F2 generations of this cultivar are similar to those of the parent even though the plants are open pollinated. Occaisonally the F2 generation yields new plants that differ significantly from the parent as shown in the following example. This flower’s color has not been previously observed on plants from seeds of Cultivar HG-NC1, suggesting that the plant may be a hybrid. The color is attractive and the flowers have low odor so this plant may be a good candidate for development as a new cultivar for ornamental use.
 Hoodia gordonii Cultivar HG-NC1 Atypical F2 Hybrid Plant |
 Hoodia gordonii Cultivar HG-NC1 Atypical Flower of F2 Hybrid |
 Hoodia gordonii – Center of Atypical Flower of Cultivar HG-NC1 F2 Hybrid |
Propagation From Cuttings
Approximately 1000 rooted cuttings have been made from this cultivar. Unlike most cultivars of Hoodia gordonii and other species of Hoodia attempts to root cuttings of small size (~ 3 cm) usually succeed. The following photos depict the vegetative production of new plants from cuttings of Cultivar HG-NC1.
 New Small Cuttings from Hoodia gordonii Cultivar HG-NC1 |
 Rooted Small Cutting of Hoodia gordonii Cultivar HG-NC1 |
 Typical Rooted Cuttings of Hoodia gordonii Cultivar HG-NC1 |
 Rooted Fifth Generation Cutting of Hoodia gordonii Cultivar HG-NC1 |
The cuttings grow rapidly may begin blooming soon after they have rooted.
 Hoodia gordonii Cultivar HG-NC1 Newly Rooted, Potted Cuttings with Rapid Growth |
 Hoodia gordonii Cultivar HG-NC1 Fifth Generation Rooted Cutting in Bloom |
Healing of Cutting Wounds
Another important trait of Hoodia cultivars, particularly those for which vegetative propagation is important, is the ability of the source plants to recover from cutting wounds. These wounds often become sites for pests and diseases to become established. This cultivar showed remarkable ability to heal these wounds, often on multiple stems of the same plant.
 Hoodia gordonii Cultivar HG-NC1 with Numerous Healed Cutting Wounds |
Plants and Seeds for Sale
Cultivar Availability
The original parent plant of Cultivar HG-NCI and the line of cuttings generated from it persisted for about 12 years. It is now extinct but many seeds from it were produced and multiple diploid and tetraploid cultivars were produced from it. We offer plants and seeds of this cultivar from our online store. Because all of our plants are open pollinated in most cases we cannot definitively determine of the pollinator and all of our cultivars may have hybridized with other species.
Restrictions on Use of Cultivars. Sales and samples of plants, cuttings and seeds of this cultivar are subject to our Hawaiian Hoodia™ License Agreement. All patent rights are reserved by Sustainable Bioresources, LLC. The transfer of this and other Improved Cultivars as defined in the Agreement from the buyer to other parties, and all commercial propagation or other commercial uses of these cultivars is prohibited.
We welcome inquiries about potential arrangements for commercial licensing and/or distributorships of our Hawaiian Hoodia™ products.
Please Contact Us for additional information.
Organic Status. All of the live plants of this cultivar offered for sale will be Certified Naturally Grown (CNG), produced following organic farming standards of the CNG program.
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Availability and Ordering Information
Nursery Stock and Seeds. Live plants and seeds of this cultivar are available for purchase from our online store.
Shipping Information
Domestic Shipments. Hoodia plants and cuttings from our certified nursery, and seeds can be shipped to all states and territories of the U.S. Non-certified plants cannot be shipped to the states of Arizona, California, Louisiana or Texas. All plants shipped to California must be in pots, which may increase packaging and shipping costs. Shipments to all other states will be bare root.
International Shipments. All shipments of Hoodia plants, cuttings, seeds and materials derived from Hoodia plants to destinations outside the U.S. must comply with the requirements of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). These shipments will be made under the provisions of our CITES Master File number 44411D, Original Permit/Certificate number 19US52992D/9 and single use permits issued to us by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We must obtain a single use permit for each shipment, regardless of its size. There are no exceptions to this requirement.
Inspections, import permits and issuance of Phytosanitary Certificates may also be necessary, and documentation requirements vary by country. Advance payment of fees may be required for permits, certificates, inspections and related services. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Sale for additional information. International customers are advised to contact us for before placing orders for any of our Hoodia products as the requirements and logistics for shipments from Hawaii are currently unsettled.
This page was last updated on February 17, 2020.