A giant plant has burst free from its conservatory at Kew Gardens following an astonishing growth spurt.
The Dasylirion wheeleri, also known as the spoon flower, grew an incredible 18ins in 24 hours, forcing staff to remove a glass pane from the roof of the Princess of Wales Conservatory to accommodate it.
Conservatory manager Nick Johnson said of the plant's bid for freedom: "It's so exciting to see this incredible specimen making a bid for freedom out the roof of the conservatory – a truly rare flowering for the UK.
"Having both the Dasylirion and the titan arum blooming at once just shows how unpredictably weird and wonderful nature can be. It's so fantastic to see our plants putting on such a wonderful display. So, make sure you get to Kew Gardens over the next couple of days."
This is the shrub's biggest flower spike in 10 years, according to staff at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where it has been housed since 1981.
The spoon flower is usually found in the harsh desert climate of the southern US and rarely flowers in cultivation in the UK, making this year's growth all the more remarkable.
Another of the most conservatory's largest and most spectacular plants, the Amorphophallus titanum (titan arum) - best known for its nauseating stench, akin to rotting flesh - is expected to flower this week.
