Ratany was the first plant I learned about when I moved to Arizona. My first discovery was the heavenly scent! They’re still blooming many places so if you don’t know about this trait, stop and see for yourself. You don’t even have to be very close to get a whiff. The flowers are very orchid-like and then come the little velcro fruits, as I call them. Each has one hook but then check out the teeny, tiny, grapple hook ends on these guys. They don’t hurt, though! Not even when they’re dry.
All in all, White Ratany is one of my favorite photo ops.
Tag Archives: white ratany
velcro fruit
White Ratany produces a little burr fruit with barbs that attach easily to anything it touches. Note that there’s one main curved barb. Check out the photo below to see the velcro-like barbs at the end of each spine. By the way, they are not sharp like cactus so they’re easier to remove from your clothing.
