Agave's final curtain call

[smweaver]

I acquired this plant many years ago and I still have no idea what species (or cross) it is. Even though it's grown very well for me over the years, I thought something was wrong with it this spring when it didn't come out of its winter dormancy. Usually it produces a nice flush of new leaves as soon as the weather warms up, but that didn't happen this year. And now I think I know why--my baby's producing a flower spike for its last act on our little planet. Kind of depressing...

Steve

[Daethen]

Awwwww. So sad.

[Junebug]

It looks fine, green and all. Are you sure it's destined for heaven? Maybe it just used growth energy for blooms this year. Succulents are pretty hardy so I wouldn't give up on this one yet. I've had a lot of succulents make amazing recoveries.

[smweaver]

Oh yeah, it's destined for succulent heaven. Agaves only bloom once during the lifetime, and all of the plant's energy is put into the final show (and since the spike comes directly from the growing tip of the plant, there really is nothing left to continue growing from the main plant once it initiates its spike). But there are probably half a dozen offsets around the base, so I'll at least have starters to pot up.

[Oscarman]

Neat, I see these plants at the greenhouse often and am always tempted to buy one. The growing pattern and structure are amazing.