The tale of the Cat’s Tail
WHAT do you call a tender, compact, weeping, evergreen woody shrub with exotic, fluffy, brilliant red, pendulous cat-tail or foxtail-shaped flowers?
The Cat’s Tail flower plant, of course! Some other common names include the Kitten’s Tail, Dwarf Chenille, and Fire Tail.
This plant is scientifically known as the Acalypha pendula (ack-uh-LIFE-uh PEN-dyoo-luh) or A. Pendula, and it is a genus of the Euphorbiaceae plant family. Its relatives include other well-known plants, such as the Crown of Thorns, the Jatropha, and the Poinsettia.
The Acalypha is mostly tropical or subtropical, but there are a few representatives in temperate zones. The Americas contain two-thirds of the known species, and these are distributed from the southern United States to Uruguay and northern Argentina. The Acalypha originated in Java and New Guinea, but is also native to Cuba.
The A. pendula, or Cat’s Tail, grows to a height of only from eight to ten inches. Its stems carry small, trailing foliage. Fluffy masses of brilliant, red hot and pendulous cat tails spike periodically during the year.
Many persons allege that cats love to play with the tassel-like blooms of the Cat’s Tails, even though the plant’s sap is allegedly toxic. Looking at these plants, it’s hard not to stroke their many, fuzzy, three-to-six-inch-long, rose-coloured “tails”, which are as soft as the appendage on a kitten.
In the right environment, this ground-hugging, fine-textured relative of the more common chenille plant quickly develops into a “fat cat”. Because of its low-growing habit, this plant makes ideal ground cover. Nevertheless, A. pendula looks best in a hanging basket or window box, since it has a trailing growth habit. Like all kittens, given the right home, A. pendula quickly develops into a compact, full-bodied specimen.
As a potted plant, this ‘fat-cat’ quickly fills a broad, rather than deep, container. The plant prefers full sunlight to a shaded location. Partial shade and moderate water are recommended for its cultivation. Outdoors, a sunny or slightly shady location should be equally successful. Don’t let the plants ever dry out completely. On the other hand, don’t keep them in a constant soggy state.
The feline creature known as the cat is considered by some to be a wonderful companion that varies considerably in appearance.
These floral cats, unlike their faunal namesakes, have rosy-pink tails. They will neither mew nor need to be fed twice a day; nor will they request to be allowed to sleep on your bed. So, go on and buy one of these exotic A. pendula “cats” for enhancing your garden or home; cleaning away dung will be the least of your worries.
The A. pendula plant is available at the # 1 Plant Shop at Sheriff Street, in Georgetown (Telephone # 227-8094). Prices range from $1500 upwards.