Sheep Eating Plant Flowers at Royal Horticultural Society Garden
Posted on June 24, 2013
A giant Puya chilensis flower bud is about to bloom in the Glasshouse at Royal Horticultural Society Garden Wisley for the first time since it started growing 15 years ago. The flower bud stands 3 meters (9.8 feet tall). Each individual bloom measure 5 centimeters across.
Puya chilensis, which growns on hillsides of the Andes, is known for its ability to snare sheep and other animals on its razor sharp spines. The snared animals then starve to death and die at the base of plant, acting as fertilizer. The Royal Horticultural Society says the plant's taste for sheep has led to its undoing in its natural habitat. Shepherds now seek out the plants and burn them down to protect their flocks.
Cara Smith, who looks after the plant at RHS Garden Wisley, said in a release, "I'm really pleased that we've finally coaxed our Puya chilensis into flower. We keep it well fed with liquid fertiliser as feeding it on its natural diet might prove a bit problematic. It's well worth a visit but parents coming along with small children don't need to worry about the plant devouring their little ones. It's growing in the arid section of our Glasshouse with its deadly spines well out of reach of both children and sheep alike."
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