Gardener's giant cactus grows through greenhouse roof

A man had to cut a hole in the roof of his greenhouse after his spiky cactus outgrew its pot - and shot 32 feet skywards.

Stunned Geoffrey Bowman, 58, couldn't believe it when the plant, a succulent, suddenly sprouted a giant flower spike in May and rocketed upwards.



Geoffrey built a polythene shelter over it to protect the plant from the elements - but it soon outgrew that and he was forced to build another one.

But the monster 'agave americana' - which has 43 spikes - continued to grow, so in June this year, Geoffrey cut a hole in roof.

It now stands at a whopping 32ft - a whole 26 feet above Geoffrey, who is a mere 6ft tall.

Geoffrey, of Newent, Glos., said: "I planted it in 1988 and at first it grew very slowly.