Manihot grahamii
“Hardy Tapioca”

I love the delicately cut leaves of this fast-growing tree. They remind me of fireworks explosions. The shadow patterns they make as the sun filters through them is quite nice & the purple-pink stems are an added bonus! A very easy shrub or small tree, it grows several feet in one year & is drought tolerant to boot. In my zone 9 garden, it freezes back a little each Winter but re-sprouts in Spring & grows with increased vigor. Can grow to 20’ & stays evergreen in zones 10 & 11. Pretty clusters of greenish bells bloom in Summer & are loved by bees. Native to Brazil. Can reseed around a bit. Note: Parts of this plant are poisonous.

Kelly Kilpatrick
Horticulturalist