RHS 'sheep-eating' plant about to bloom in Surrey (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

A South American plant with a 10ft (3m) tall flower spike is about to bloom in a Surrey glasshouse for the first time since it was planted 15 years ago.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) at Wisley said the Puya chilensis, a native of Chile, would bloom in the next few days and last about a week.

In the Andes it uses its sharp spines to snare and trap sheep and other animals, which slowly starve to death.

The animals then decay at the base of the plant, acting as a fertiliser.

The RHS feeds its specimen on liquid fertiliser.
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more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-22967160




Holy crap! Keep the pets and small children away!

[dipsydoodle]

1. As its in a greenhouse it maybe it wouldn't survive outside.

That's unlike Japanese Knotweed. Allowing that to escape in Victorian times here in the UK was a monumental fuck up closely followed by some types of rhododendron and buddleja. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_knotweed

[Little Star]

2. The workers in that glasshouse better be careful. Yikes! n/t

[Thor_MN]

3. Feed me, Seymour!!

[Paulie]

4. Cleopatra! All grown up.

[flying rabbit]

5. I"m sorry but you suck as a mammal if you get "eaten" by this plant

Darwin was right.