Kleinia anteuphorbium (Swizzle Sticks)

Native to Morocco, this succulent member of the daisy family forms a small shrub with crowded, ascending cylindrical stems. In its dry Mediterranean habitat, the plant grows mainly during the cooler winter months and remains leafless for much of the year. Flower heads develop at the ends of the branches and contain small white flowers with yellow pollen and a sweet scent. Its distinctive stems make it an unusual ornamental for dry gardens and collections of succulent plants. It needs plenty of sun and excellent drainage and is easily propagated from stem cuttings allowed to callus before planting. Photographed in Peru.