Gardener says his monster succulent is the biggest in Britain

One avid gardener has taken advantage of the extreme weather conditions and now says his succulent plant is like a monster Triffid and is the biggest in Britain.

The Beast from the East followed by the summer heatwave has seen it grow so tall it’s shot through the roof of his greenhouse.

Graham Griffin, who works as a gardener at Potters Resort in Hopton-on-sea, has been tending to it all this year and now claims it is the biggest succulent in Britain.

Now 30ft high and still spiralling, it’s as high as some of the areas tallest houses in Long Road, Lowestoft.

The plant, an Agave atrovirens to give its Latin name, is a succulent, meaning it prefers to be grown under cover and in heated greenhouses.

‘It is now 30 feet high and it has grown through the roof of the greenhouse,’ Graham said.

The plant started out looking like a small Aloe Vera plant, before spiralling as high as houses

The plant is native to hot countries such as Mexico and usually grows to an average of 8ft high

The Beast from the East storms and cold, combined with the summer heatwave, had led to ideal conditions, prompting the plant to have a growth spurt this year.

Graham said: ‘It’s the biggest variety of succulent there is in the world. I got it in 1982 from seeds.’

But its conquest to reach the sky is set to be its curtain call – it will die at the end of the current flowering season.

Poor weather conditions at the start of the year, followed by a heatwave have prompted the plant to reach new heights

Graham said: ‘At first I wasn’t expecting it this year – I thought it would be another two or three years.

‘But I knew it was going to flower by about February.’

It’s drawn spectators and admirers from far and wide, including gardeners who have heard about it on the grapevine and have flocked to the Suffolk town to see it.

Agave atrovirens is native to Mexico and other tropical countries, and usually grows to about 8ft in height.