Century Plant

Description:

Long spike of about 9 meters about to flower. The first yellow petals are visible at the top of the spike in the 3rd picture. The 4th picture shows one that has recently died, just fell over, following it's only flowering....after maybe 30 years of life.

Habitat:

Many of these agaves were about to flower all around the Toltec Ruins of Tula, Hidalgo, Mexico.

Notes:

The misnamed century plant typically lives only 10 to 30 years. It has a spreading rosette (about 4 m/13 ft wide) of gray-green leaves up to 2 m (6.6 ft) long, each with a spiny margin and a heavy spike at the tip that can pierce to the bone. The plant is native to Mexico. When it flowers, the spike of big yellow flowers may reach up to 8 or 9 m (26 ft) in height. It's common name likely derives from its nature of flowering only once at the end of its long life. The plant then dies after flowering, but produces suckers or shoots from the base, which continue its growth.