I found this information on the internet but didn't keep the source page. It is very interesting to me and I'd like to share with you. Today's photos are at the bottom of the page. It is all developing fast!
"Agave Flowers: Agave plants bear flowers on extremely long stalks, or inflorescences. Many experts describe these stalks as asparagus-like, though the tallest of them resemble trees as much as they do asparagus. Agave stalks grow from the center of the flower and reach mature heights of 6 to 40 feet. It takes at least 10 to 15 years for an agave plant to flower. The triggering mechanism for agave blossoming is unknown. No one knows why they flower when they do, or when a specimen will flower.
Flowering Habit: Agaves have a monocarpic flowering habit. This means that a single agave plant flowers once and dies immediately after flowering. When agave plants die, they leave offsets, commonly called pups, in the soil as a means of propagation. Agave offsets resemble new plants growing alongside full-grown plants, but actually constitute new growths sprouting from the roots of the mother plant. When the mother plant dies, these offsets stay alive and grow into independent agave specimens that eventually flower and create offsets themselves.
Flower Description: Agave plants bear elongated, tubular flowers on leafless branches or, as is the case with certain species, on single, spiked stalks. These flowers appear in various colors depending on the species of agave, though are usually yellow, rose or white. Flowers blossom at the terminal end, or absolute end point, of branches and may be spread in a diameter as wide as 6 feet from the central stalk.
How to Remove Babies From a Large Agave:
Gardeners with poor soil or those who live in hot, arid conditions can grow agave plants successfully. The plants need little water and no fertilizer, and you will never have to prune them. Agave varies in size according to the species, with the tallest growing to 12 feet tall. After the agave flowers, it dies, but you can save the small plants that it produces, known as "pups," and grow new agave plants.
Instructions:
Cut the pup from the mother plant, taking with it a small piece of the connecting stem. If the plant is so large that working near it is unsafe, dig a trench around the portion of the pup that you can reach, and use the spade to slice it from the mother.
Cut the roots on the pup to 1/4 inch in length.
Push the pup into the cactus potting mix in a 1-gallon container."
Cut the pup from the mother plant, taking with it a small piece of the connecting stem. If the plant is so large that working near it is unsafe, dig a trench around the portion of the pup that you can reach, and use the spade to slice it from the mother.
Cut the roots on the pup to 1/4 inch in length.
Push the pup into the cactus potting mix in a 1-gallon container."
I wonder if this plant is where they got the idea for the plant Mr. Wilson was growing in the movie Dennis the Menace (the one that had Walter Matthau as Mr. Wilson). I'd love to see the flower! I wonder how long the flower is alive...seconds, minutes, hours, days?
ReplyDeleteAlmost looks like what I imagine the beanstalk to look like in Jack and the Beanstalk.