Copperleaf Succulent

This short leaf succulent grows up to 11 feet (3.4 meters) tall. The asymmetrical stem is copper, and is covered in handfuls of rigid green spines. The stocky leaves are amber on the edges and green at the center. Small amounts of them grow on thick, gnarled, yellow-green branches that are short and thin. The leaves are tough, but take little effort to detach.

It is slow growing, taking 3 years to reach maturity. Once mature, and only under the right conditions, several flowers with solid red petals and a turquoise central disk grow at the top, reappearing after 7 years, but only when the conditions are right again. The flower head is made up of 40 petals; the lower layer of petals are flat, while the upper layers form a tight tube. It has an overpowering scent that smells like onion.

The leaf succulent's skin is thin, the gold flesh is slimy, and the red sap is thin.