SoS: Unusual Garden Plants Which Grow in Portugal

For this Week’s SoS (Six on Saturday) I ‘dug deep’ and selected some of my more unusual specimens. I grow most of my plants in pots as they are easier to manage – especially plants that need to be moved to a more sheltered position in the winter.

Thankfully, it’s been much cooler this week so I took advantage of the opportunity to clear our main raised vegetable bed, cover the area with plastic sheeting (old compost bags) and turn off the watering system.

Madagascar Cactus Palm – Pachypodium Lamerei

This is baby Madge I bought back in June 2020. She was only about 12 inches tall and over the last two years she has tripled in size.

This is my original Madagascar Cactus Palm from 2017. It now stands nearly 5ft tall!

Earlier in the year the tip of the longer trunk turned black and withered. I was going to level it off, add a small flat piece of wood and turn it into a bird table. Fortunately, we’ve had so many visitors over the last few months thankfully I never had the time to implement the idea. As you can see there is all new growth sprouting from the sides.

The Ponytail Palm Tree (Beaucarnea recurvata)

I love these!

I adopted this one when a friend sold up and moved back to the U.K.

Cycads (Sago palms)

Who knew Cycads (Sago Palms) are toxic. Worth reading if you have pets!

Scaevola (Fan flower)

I’d never seen one of these plants before and until I came to create this post I’d not got a clue what it was called. (shout-out to my gardening friends on FB who identified it)

Portulaca (Rock Rose)

Same story as above with this plant. I was attracted by its rainbow of flowers but I thought it was a type of succulent and would spread. Apparently not … it is an annual … ho hum.

Crown of Thorns – Euphorbia Milii

These are the most ‘giving ‘ flowering plants we have. The flower continually throughout the year and withstands the heat and full sun. I first saw these in Lanzorte and wondered how I could smuggle one back to Portugal in my suitcase. No need … I found this one as a baby plant in a garden centre near Monchique. Now I see them everywhere!

Air Plants

I’ve just discovered air plants! They are great for creating displays from old knurled pieces of wood.

Does anyone else grow air plants?

That’s it for this week! Now I’m off to check out other gardening blogs from across the world.

Apologies, because of the intrusive and unrelated adverts on this post, 27 in total plus sidebar ads, I have removed all the links. Sorry