<previous next>

Spireafern

Succulent type: Leaf succulent (Stores water in its leaves)

This big leaf succulent grows up to 82 feet (25.0 meters) tall. The spear shaped stem is yellow-green, and is dotted with small dark grey spines. The jagged-edged, 9 pointed leaves are found in bright red, violet and red varieties. Large amounts of them grow from the base like blades of grass. The leaves are delicate, but do not detach easily.

It is slow growing, taking 11 years to reach maturity. Once mature, and only under the right conditions, a single flower with each petal a slightly different shade of bronze grows at the top, reappearing after 4 years, but only when the conditions are right again. The flower head is shaped like a tube with 60 widely spaced, narrow petals. It has a powerful scent that smells like bleach.

The leaf succulent's skin is delicate, the cream flesh is sticky, and the light brown sap is thin.

It is suitable for making strong rope
A particular bird species likes to nest in it.
It absorbs an exceptionally large amount of water each day.