Unusual Plant Blooming in Audra’s Home Town

Photo credit: John Walter Hurston

by Audra H. Anders for The Aha! Connection     

This post is for those who love plants and gardening!

My dad sent me this note along with the photos he took of the Century Plant blooming in my home town!   I thought it was cool enough to share!

from my Dad:

Unusual plant blooming in Opelika on corner of 3rd Street and 5th Ave (Rocky Brook Rd.)

Its called a Century Plant because it blooms only once every 15 to 30 years. Its an Agave Americana Plant. It expends all  its energy to bloom and the stalk is 15 to 25 ft tall. It dies after blooming and can come back from the ground then bloom again in 30 years.  The blooms are yellow and turn from lower to the upper buds. It can take 2 months or so to complete blooming.

Remember Grammar Lessons with Kate?   She’s also from my hometown and I have enjoyed watching her obsess over this plant as well.   Following is what she has to say about it:

7/9/21:  The agave/century plant in #myopelika has been so fun to watch this summer. It finally bloomed over the past week-10 days and then…strong winds this afternoon blew it over. I’m so sad.

Kate gets photo creds for the pre-blooming plant!