Uncarina grandidieri

Uncarina grandidieri, also known as the mouse trap tree or succulent sesame, is a succulent shrub or small tree native to Madagascar. It is a member of the sesame family, Pedaliaceae, and is recognized for its unique flowers, hooked seed pods, and swollen, caudex-forming trunk

• Size: In its native habitat, it can reach a height of 3–5 meters, with a trunk diameter of up to 80 cm. In cultivation, it typically remains much smaller.
• Trunk (caudex): The plant develops a thick, succulent trunk (caudex) that stores water, making it well-adapted to its dry, semi-arid environment.
• Leaves: The bright green leaves are five-lobed, fuzzy, and sticky to the touch. They resemble the leaves of a cotton plant and emit a musty odor when rubbed. The leaves are deciduous and shed during the winter dry season.
• Flowers: The zygomorphic (bilaterally symmetrical) flowers are bright yellow with a dark crimson or purplish-red throat. They appear on the plant before the leaves in the spring and resemble large petunias or black-eyed Susan vines.
• Pollination: U. grandidieri has a specialized pollination strategy involving pollen-eating beetles. The flowers do not shed pollen from their anthers. Instead, a beetle must bite into the stigma to release a pollen-containing paste, which it then carries to another flower.
• Fruit and seeds: The fruit is a capsule covered with stiff, inwardly-pointed hooks that cling to passing animals for dispersal. The seed pods are so tenacious that they have earned the plant the common name "mouse trap tree
• Growing conditions: Uncarina grandidieri thrives in well-drained soil (like a cactus mix) and requires plenty of sun.
• Watering: As a succulent from an arid region, it is drought-tolerant. Water regularly during the summer growing season, but keep the soil dry while the plant is dormant in the winter.
• Hardiness: This species is not frost-tolerant. It should be kept warm during the winter, with a minimum temperature of around 10°C (50°F).
• Propagation: Propagation is difficult, as both seeds and cuttings have low success rates. Once established, however, the plant is relatively easy to care for.
• Handling: Extreme caution is advised when handling the seed pods, as the barbs are very difficult to remove from skin

Price is for 4 seeds