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Trumpet Marzipan Flower

Flower type: Annual (Grows along the ground or other low surfaces.)

This big flower grows up to 4.6 feet (1.4 meters) tall. Its dark red stem is thin, and the tiny, yellow leaves are black on the underside and are sickle shaped with smooth edges. The leaves alternate on the stem from about halfway up, up to the flower head.

A single medium-sized flower sits at the end of the stem. The flowers are 26 cm (10.2 inches) wide, with bright green petals that gradient shift to dark red on the outer edge. The central disk is dark red. The flower head is shaped like a trumpet with 18 raised, narrow petals. They detach easily.

It has a strong scent that smells like marzipan, and it has lots of pollen. It is a self-pollinator, but is also visited by one species of insect in particular.

It is suitable for making baskets and the like
It can survive a very long time without water.
The sap is edible and slightly savoury.