I walk my greyhounds frequently, they like to walk around the neighborhood and my garden. Here are some of the plants we have encountered recently. Some are not to be sniffed by dogs or people. Above is one of those plants, a Blue Agave (Agave tequilana) grown by a friend and gifted to me, this is the plant that tequila is made from and is very spiny with spines on the leaf tips.
Here’s another sharp plant, my neighbor’s Natal Plum (Carissa macrocarpa). A poisonous plant with thorns, paradoxically having edible fruit and gardenia scented flowers.
Another Agave, not quite as sharp as the Blue one. This one is a Sisal Agave (Agave sisalana) – yes, where Sisal for rugs, ropes, etc. comes from. This is on a vacant lot on our walk and is shooting up a bloom stalk that is at least 10 feet tall and not showing a bud yet. Somewhere south of here an enterprising soul started a Sisal plantation, the Sisal reseeded and took over an island in the Florida Keys and has blown seeds all the way to my neighborhood.
Another sharp plant, the Soap Aloe (Aloe saponaria). These can be used to make shampoo and are foamy if the leaves are snapped. After reading about these, I decided against the shampoo as it seems most people are allergic to it.
The Autograph Tree (Clusia rosea), waiting to be planted – one of the potted orphans that lurk in everyones garden, not sharp at all.
Buds on the Dombeya (Dombeya wallachi). This is a pink tropical Hydrangea tree, if you can imagine that – and they bloom in December! I walk by everyday looking for flowers.
Happy gardening!
To see more Six on Saturday posts featuring six items of interest from gardens around the world go to: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/
The Shrub Queen 
Enjoyed reading your post: Dombeya wallachi is going to be magnificent…had to google this to check out its flowers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Noelle, thanks, I am looking forward to the Dombeya – it is more than 8 feet tall and wide. I will post pictures when it the blooms appear.
LikeLike
A very exotic (to me) six and lovely, if not a little bit dangerous. I wonder why the Autograph Tree is called the Autograph Tree?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exotic is in the eye of the beholder. I think many of the UK plants are exotic (Medlar?) Autograph Tree is called that because the leaves are like a succulent but very dense and you can scratch initials, names or whatever on their surface and it stays forever.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks!
LikeLike
Good morning Miss Grant. Once again you have taught me about some interesting plants that I will never experience in North Georgia. I always enjoy learning about them😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Jon, I think you are safe from these plants – unless a greenhouse is in your future. Thank you! MG Happy Thanksgiving late to G and S!!
LikeLike
As you say, exotic is in the eye of the beholder. I looked up Clusia because I’d not heard of it and most of the pictures online are of plants without flowers which kind of implies that it is mainly grown for its foliage, which to me looks unremarkable. Does it get to flower at some point, they look like they might be worth waiting for.
LikeLike
These are used as clipped hedges for screening for the most part, like Yew. It grows into a very dense screen with an nice tropical texture.
LikeLike
The excitement mounts with your dombeya buds. But even without flowers it is an impressive plant.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Getting too big- the Dombeya, I will give it
a hard pruning after it flowers. I am impressed by the speed of growth and leaf size.
LikeLike
The first agave is actually a common Agave americana, with wider and wickedly dentate leaves. Tequila agave has narrower leaves with simple margins.
LikeLike