The flora of Madagascar is as different from the flora of Illinois as possible, and silver thicket is a real curiosity. The entire shrub is a mass of thorns. There are no leaves, just pale, frosty blue-green branches and twigs that have turned into sharp-pointed thorns. This makes the plants impervious to hot desert sun and grazers. It also makes it very difficult to repot. Flowers are small clusters of green buds, with red bracts and orange pollen. It is becoming less common in the wild due to habitat loss. Caution should be taken with this plant. The milky sap can cause irritation when handling the plant.