The Strange Life of The Century Plant

This week I have a desert plant to show you that is quite amazing.  If you have never lived in the Sonoran or Chihuahuan Desert, you probably have not seen this plant in its full splendor.  It is called the Century Plant, or Agavacaea Americana.  The reason for its common name is due to the growth cycle of the cactus.  It only blooms once, and while it doesn’t take 100 years for the bloom to form, it does take a long time.

The Century Plant spends 10, 15, sometimes up to 25 years preparing for its grand finale.  During that time, the leaves grow to a height of 4-6 feet, 6-8 inches across at the base, with sharp serrated edges and a spike at the end.  The plant can reach a diameter of six feet.  It is not a plant you would want to run into.

After the long and slow growth of the leaves, the appearance of the stalk is quite rapid.  It shoots up out of the center of the plant in a matter of weeks to a stunning height of 20-25 feet. Some have grown to 40 feet.  The stalk is more like a tree trunk, since it usually has a diameter of 4-6 inches.  Once it has attained its full height, it gets branches with a huge flower pod at the end of each one.  The yellow or orange flowers take another two or three weeks to reach full bloom, during which time they attract bees and hummingbirds.  

When the flowers eventually fall, the seedpods are left to propagate new plants.  However, the Plant grows so rapidly in those few weeks that it virtually kills itself.  Almost from the time the stalk starts to shoot up, the leaves begin to turn brown and shrivel.  The stalk, having no support anymore, falls to the ground within a short period of time.  In fact, many of the plants never make it to full bloom, because they tend to be top heavy and susceptible to wind.  When they do topple, they sometimes take out surrounding bushes or small trees.

The Century Plant is truly a spectacular plant of the Southwestern American desert.  They are used as ornamentals in many yards—I had one in my back yard in El Paso, but it had several years to grow yet.  The last time I visited El Paso in 2010, it was still growing with no stalk.  I hope you enjoyed reading about and seeing pictures of the Century Plant.