Giant Spine Succulent

This huge caudiciform grows up to 152 feet (46.3 meters) tall. The needle-like stem is yellow-green, and is covered in sharp spines. It has a straight, narrow, white trunk atop a slender block of wrinkled, exposed roots. The branches are thick and grey and red and trail down towards the ground.

The toothed-edged, thin leaves are cream with black tips. They are strong, and easily come away when pulled.

It is very slow growing, taking 23 years to reach maturity. Once mature, several flowers with each petal a slightly different shade of lime grow at the top, reappearing once every 5 years. The flower head is made up of 9 petals in raised layers. It has a powerful scent that smells like alcohol.

The caudiciform's skin is thin, the orange flesh is leathery, and the intense purple sap is thin.