‘Noble’ agave plants in Fresno area reaching their death bloom with towering stalks
From Clovis to Hanford in Central California, the mature succulents known as agave americana are dying. And there is little anyone can do.
But this isn’t a case of errant pesticides, disease or insect infestation, it’s totally natural.
The plant has completed its life cycle. In one final effort to reproduce, the agave musters all its remaining energy and pushes out a towering asparagus-like stalk with flower buds. It can take 10 to 25 years for a plant to produce a bloom, depending on the species.
When it’s finally time, the tubular buds open to reveal bright yellow, light green or red, depending on the species.
Botanists call it the agave’s death bloom.
Although the flowers can last for several days or weeks. The plant will soon die.
“Agave plants are noble,” said Yessica Viridiana Fernandez Galicia, research collaborator at the University of California Davis, Water Management Lab. “The last thing the plant can do is produce seeds and then it dies. It did what it is supposed to do.”
Galicia is part of a group of scientists studying the uses of agave plants in California. In Mexico, where multiple species are grown, the plant is used for everything from liquor to bio fuel.
At Clovis Botanical Garden, there are two agave plants in the throes of death bloom. The plants and their 20-foot stalks have attracted several curious visitors, said Anne Clemons, a longtime volunteer.
Clemons said the agave plants that are about 10 years old were donated to the garden. One of the plants has completed the bloom process and its long petals are beginning to droop and dry up.
It is likely the garden will replace the plants once they have completed their final task.
“It is a shame, but that’s the plant’s life,” she said.
For the average homeowner, the agave americana is a favorite because it’s drought tolerant and some varieties have variegated leaves.
Damon Miller of Hanford was just looking for something low maintenance for his backyard. Little did he know the agave plant he bought 20 years ago would grow to become the massive plant it is today.
Miller’s agave stands about six feet tall and the stalk has reached 25 feet.
“Honestly, this thing is out of control,” Miller said. “You just keep wondering if it is going to get any taller.”
Although Miller admits he was going to redo his landscaping to make it more kid friendly, he is going to miss the agave.
“It is sad thing to see it die,” Miller said. “But I also don’t want my grand kids to get hurt.”
Other agave americana owners on social media are proudly posting their towering stalks.
Westside farmer Joe Del Bosque snapped a photo of a row of agave plants with stalks reaching at least 25 feet high. The plants are near his fruit stand at 51481 W. Shields Ave. in Firebaugh in western Fresno County.
In an Oakland neighborhood in the Bay Area, residents have given a blooming agave plant the nickname Audrey, after the flesh-eating plant in Little Shop of Horrors.
One of the neighbors, @itsmatty27 has also posted regular updates on the agave.
“We’ve left out a guest book and people have been filling it with messages of encouragement, joy, and wonder — it’s amazing how something as simple as leaving a whiteboard out about your plant can bring such a strong feeling of community. Thanks as always for sharing your plant with us,” Matt Easton wrote.
