Decaisnea fargesii

Dead Man’s Fingers
Decaisnea fargesii
Type: Deciduous Shrub
Exposure: Sun / Part Shade
Water: Regular

Happy Halloween! And now for some creepiness…

This somewhat morbidly-named shrub originates in Western China. Reaching 12 to 20ft (3.6 to 6m) tall and wide, it consists of long (3ft or 90cm) leaves that are divided into 13 to 25 leaflets, arranged opposite each other on arching stalks. Yellowish-green, bell-shaped flowers appear in hanging clusters in summer, and while not spectacular on their own, the long (18in, 45cm) clusters can be quite attractive. Its defining feature, however, appears in October with the arrival of the unique seedpods, which ripen to a gruesome pale blue color and look (and feel, apparently) like cold, dead flesh. These will persist until well after the leaves fall. In its native Asia, these, uh, “fingers” are used as a food source whereby the sweetish pulp that surrounds the inedible seeds is eaten. In most places though, they are strictly…”ornamental.”

Fun Fact: Another common name for this is “Blue Bean Tree,” and when you use this name instead of “Dead Man’s Fingers,” this shrub doesn’t seem ghoulish anymore. Well, not as ghoulish…

Flower photo courtesy of  www.tradewindsfruit.com

Cheers,

John