Mouse Trap is waking up


A cold sensitive plant I received as a mislabeled plant in a trade, but since it falls under  'weird and wonderful' plants, the favorites of my dear hubby, we kept it.


Wake-up time







Why the name Mouse Trap Tree? the seed pods are covered with tiny grappling hooks, and one website suggests those seed pods would even stick to mice.

The leaves are unusual,  very soft and somehow sticky. I want to touch them, but the sticky feeling creeps me out ;-)







I just love the tiny new leaves






This is the summer look of the Mouse Trap Tree, light green, large and soft leaves, and showy bright yellow flowers


Uncarina grandidieri, or Mouse Trap Tree

Loves full sun and does not mind the Florida rainy season, but wants a dry rest period in winter. It froze to the ground during the winter of 2011, with lows at 26F, but came back quickly and grew the following summer to 6 ft tall. 

The Madagascar native is a succulent and develops a  fat caudiciform base reminding me of a Pachypodium or Adenium. 




10 comments:

  1. I'm glad your mislabled plant turned out to be a treasure. I haven't always been so fortunate. :)

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  2. I know what you mean, I had my fair share of disappointments.

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  3. What an interesting plant and a great surprise for you! I am always attracted to the weird and wonderful, and I have to love a plant called 'Mousetrap'!

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  4. Die Pflanze ist ja grandios
    toll das es so was schönes gibt

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  5. Oh, I do love those fuzzy little leaves! The flowers are quite nice as well!

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  6. 6 ft tall! What a wonderful plant (and yes, a bit weird, too). Glad it survived your cold.

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  7. What an interesting plant and of course it is loving its new home with you in Florida! I'm wondering what its function might be in the wilds of Madagascar...

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  8. Oh, what a nice surprise you had! I saw this tree in person during a visit to Miami Fairchild tropical garden. You can see the mousetrap tree picture I took there following this link: http://sefloridagardenevolvement.blogspot.com/2010/05/fairchild-tropical-botanic-garden-part_13.html.

    Someday, your tree will look like that too ! :)

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  9. Wonderful details of this plant!

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