#36. Devils Hand (Chiranthodendron pentadactylon)
Photo courtesy of Josh*m (cc)
If idle hands are the devil’s workshop, we’re not really sure what the Devil’s Hands are, but we sure love to look at them! Some call this tree the Monkey’s Hand or Monkey Paw, but we wouldn’t recommend making any wishes on it. The Devil’s Hand is native to Mexico where the Ancient Aztecs held it in extraordinarily high religious regard, who harvested the claw-like flowers for generations and generations. The fruit produced by this tree has an earthy taste and has been used for years in traditional medicine to treat heart disease and heart conditions. Unlike some tropical plants the Devil’s Hand tree is extremely hardy and can grow relatively fast, reaching upwards of 40’ to 90’ tall!