The history on this plant is, I got it from a seedling growing under a mother plant at Ft Lauderdale International Airport main parking lot. Whenever I go there to pick up someone visiting, I park in the main parking lot. This lot has these bushes surrounding it. The lot is an open structure. There are large openings between the parking area inside, and the outside area where the plants grow. It is easy to spot a baby, bend over the sill and dig out a "pup" as I call them. These "pups" are small and easily removed without any damage to the mother plant or the surrounding dirt. Over the years I have started many of these plants this way. The first two have already been replaced by the two currently growing in my yard.

My back yard, where these plants reside, faces East. Here I have very little blocking the brisk Easterly breeze that is a constant here. Once the plants get as big as the one in the picture you see, any serious wind will blow them over. For this reason I always have a second plant growing nearby the biggest one. When the big one gets blown over, if not expecting a visitor I will make a trip to the airport and get a "pup" as replacement for the big plant that blew over.

I try to plant one at least every two years. To see more of my garden plants, click here.

- Art Constantino