The Century Plant

I've written a column about the century plant in the past, but it was several years ago and when we lived in El Paso where they were common among the desert flora and as yard plants.  The one I'm writing about this time is the only one I have ever seen here in Augusta.

Cactus is not native to this region, although there are several prickly pear cacti here that seem to be growing wild along the roadways.  The century plant, also known as agave, has a long life, but not the 100 years its name would imply.  They normally live 20-to-30 years.  The leaves grow to a 5-foot length or more.  The plant only blooms once, and when it does, it withers and dies within a few weeks.

The specimen I have been watching for about nine years was still in its growth stage until recently.  I passed it several times last week and did not see any change in its spiky fullness.  Then, today (Friday, June 5) I drove past and there was the familiar stalk that had shot up to a height of almost 25 feet with a diameter of about 4 inches.  And at the top were those beautiful flowers that form the seed pods to propagate the species.

I know that it sounds incredible, but that stalk actually grew to that length and thickness in just a few days.  It is amazing, and it is almost possible to watch the spurt is so rapid.  I wish I had known earlier, or that someone had taken timed exposures to show it.  It is truly one of the wonders of nature.

The stalk will last about one-to-two weeks, and then it will turn brown and the entire plant will shrivel and die.  The seed pods will have dropped their precious cargo, though, and it is possible that some new plants will grow in place of the deceased one.

Oh, one other fact . . . the agave plant is the one from which tequila is made, so besides its rare beauty, it also makes a great tasting alcoholic beverage. 

The plant isn't fully blossomed yet , so I'm including two older pictures that show the century plant I wrote about in El Paso.  I also wanted to show the blooms that come out on those arms way up the stalk, so here they are.