Silver Spine Succulent

This short leaf succulent grows up to 10 feet (3.0 meters) tall. The tapering stem is pink-red, and is covered in thousands of flexible silver spines. The smooth-edged, wispy leaves are dark brown with orange tips. Handfuls of them grow from the base in alternating layers of 2, then 4, then 6, and so on. The leaves are frail, and detach easily.

It is steady-growing, taking 3 years to reach maturity. Once mature, a handful of flowers, with petals that are either aquamarine or copper, with a yellow center, grow at the top, reappearing every year. The flower head is shaped like a dish made up of dozens of tightly layered, round-tipped petals. It has a faint scent that smells like meat.

The leaf succulent's skin is thick, the faded blue flesh is slimy, and the green sap is thin and can cause blindness if consumed.