Pachypodium baronii is a succulent shrub with robust, globose to bottle-shaped trunk (caudex), much branched, up to 2 (or more) m high.
This species produces spectacular red flowers with a white eye in the centre and each lasts for several days.
This species is relatively rare in cultivation, but is greatly appreciated and cultivated by sophisticated succulent fanciers and caudiciform collectors worldwide.
Two subspecies are recognized, the nominate form and Pachypodium baronii subs. windsorii. Unfortunately, in the wild it is rare and local, being recorded from only two small areas in the north of Madagascar, and the type locality of var. windsorii has been almost cleaned out by ruthless collectors.