Manihot grahamii

Description

Manihot grahamii is one of those plants that seems destined to become one of the ‘holy grails’ of hardy-ish exotic plants grown in the U.K. very desirable and hard to find. Sometimes known as ‘Hardy Tapioca’ Manihots have beautiful palmate like foliage much like a shefflera but with aguably more delicate and dense effect. If you are lucky delicate nodding pendulus greenish flowers with a hint of purple in the  centre will appear in mid to late summer. When established Manihots can be fairly vigorous growers reaching 2 or more metres high eventually becoming multi-trunched. Manihot grahamii is a native to South America where it grows in forested hillsides often in regions experiencing cool nights hence its reputed hardiness to at least minus 10 degrees C. Personally I’d suggest caution and protect your Manihot at anything more than minus 4 or 5 degrees during which time it will probably become deciduous even dying back above ground to sprout from the base in late spring. I recommend planting in fertile moist retentive but not waterlogged soils located in part sun away from strong winds, worth finding the right spot as these are such special plants. I’d also suggest planting outdoors during late spring after the frosts have passed to allow the plant to have a full growing season before the cool nights of winter arrive.

If you purchase one from us during the colder months I’d recommend keeping it cool but frost free in a bright airy location, glasshouse or unheated conservatory perhaps.

Many thanks to Jackie Doherty for the main photographs.

The young plants we have for sale here have had their central leader removed to promote side growth and prevent weak autumn ‘legginess’. Don’t be alarmed this is not damaging to the plant.