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.