Crimson Needle Succulent

This short leaf succulent grows up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall. The needle-like stem is orange, and is covered in thousands of fine, crimson, hair-like spines. The slender leaves are generally cyan. Small bunches of them grow on thick, gnarled, brown branches that are very long and thin. The leaves are tough, but are very difficult to pull away.

It is quick growing, taking 3 months to reach maturity. Once mature, and only under the right conditions, a handful of flowers, with solid faded red petals decorated with dark grey lines and a faded red central disk, grow at the top, reappearing after 5 years, but only when the conditions are right again. The flower head is shaped like a cube made up of handfuls of raised, round-tipped petals. It has a delicate scent that smells like onion.

The leaf succulent's skin is thin, the muted green flesh is rough, and the pink sap is thin.