How to be put off growing Tropicals!

[Conifers]

Have a read of this

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/3907/

[tropicalwon]

Brilliant way to promote exotic gardening............Rock on .........scratched--stabbed--Poisoned--eventual death......please enjoy your gardening.......or not!!!!!!!!

Just love it.....

[simon]

Ouch! I feel his pain.

My garden is relatively benign from this perspective, but I have often had my hands torn to shreds when trying to remove old dead leaves from Chamaerops humilis and Dasylirion seratifolium. I may be foolish for doing it without gloves but I find that the gloves keep catching on the spines and you get stuck it there.

My Euphorbias are of the soft variety but never had any issue with the sap yet.

[Mr List]

caterpillers were webbing themselves up in the new growth of my euphorbia fireglow and i rubbed them to open them back up so they could grow.

somehow rubbed it in my eyes and i was in real pain for hours even after vigourous washing/rinsing.

[Clive60]

Trying to repot a puya Chiliensis was a nightmare as the stiff leaves were hanging over the edge and gloves stuck to it like velcro, gave up and left in it's original pot.

[dino]

Quite an interesting read though. One thing I do agree with him on is stuff looks much better trimmed than not.

[Rob S]

It certainly has made me think twice about standing under my Washingtonia next time i get someone in to trim it!

[flounder]

Trying to repot a puya Chiliensis was a nightmare as the stiff leaves were hanging over the edge and gloves stuck to it like velcro, gave up and left in it's original pot.

I hear you, but mines p. alpestris

[Troppoz]

Livistona petioles are nasty pasties as I can attest, Ive been bitten by these bad boys more times than I can remember and yes Bismarkia petioles are as sharp as razorblades and will slash your hand to the bone if given half a chance. Ive developed a healthy respect for these plants and have a live and let live approach...

However I had to take drastic action with a beautiful but deadly Aiphanes horrida palm that was armed with long sharp spines from the roots to the tips of its fronds. I always seemed to forget it was there and got jabbed and spined while working in the garden around it but because it was so beautiful and elegant I couldnt stay angry with it for long. Sadly it signed its own death warrant when it went for a one on one with one of my dogs where my dog came off second best.

Off with her head was my rallying call so a few thwacks with a mattock and she was history


http://www.pacsoa.org.au/palms/Aiphanes/horrida.html

[Jo A P]

Fantastic plants he grows!
I agree about the opuntia microdasys! Those soft little spines are terrible to remove. I re potted my Dasylirion in the spring with much swearing and cursing. It ripped my arms to bits and worse of all it's not straight in it's pot! The choice is to do it again or say it's deliberate and I like things to grow at angles.

[Simba]

That was an interesting read though, the best I have read in a while...

[stephenprudence]

I found out this myself on a Yucca aloifolia, and I keep finding out.. also on a Yucca gloriosa.

Also I cut myself on a Washingtonia petiole, and got Citrus limon and Bougainvillea thorns in my hand!

I have a Cactus that seemingly throws spines into me when I'm not even anywhere near it.. so I can fully understand where this poster is coming from.

Essentially building a garden full of spiky and toxic plants is like assembling an army of your arch-enemies outside your front door in order to make your house look good

[flounder]

And yet we still proceed to buy more!
I'm after a pandanus and some more yuccas.
Even when dead the plants get you. Try picking up a handful of dead mahonia leaves underneath an echium.
I don't know about gloves, you need full body armour out there

[Conifers]

you need full body armour out there

Just imagine getting some of those Opuntia glochids down inside the armour, itch, itch, itch, where you can't reach it

[flounder]

Use a monkey puzzle branch as a loofah, that'll get it