100 year old plant about to flower !

(9 July 2012)

Mrs Reay with her Agave

Mrs Reay from Sunderland donated this wonderful Agave on the 9th July 2012. We will have it on display in the cactus house. Hopefully the greenhouse will be tall enough for the impressive spike, not to worry if not as we can make a hole in the roof for it! We will update this news item with images as the spike "mast" develops.

Agave's are from Mexico and Southern and Eastern United States. They are moncarpic, this means that after they flower the main flowering rosette dies, although sometimes it produces a side shoot and a new plant will grow. There should be an abundance of seed if we can pollinate the flowers, so we do hope that we can return a new plant to Mrs Reay for her to grow. It might take a few generations however as these amazing plants are also known a "century plants", as it often takes them 100 years until they flower again !

Follow this link to follow the progress of the spike.

• Read the article in the Sunderland Echo