nice-beautiful colour on the agave

It's beautiful--enjoy the process.

Do these live after they bloom?

Jeri

Jeri.

They almost always do not - they're monocarpic for the most part. But with many, there are almost always pups or offsets on the flowering stem (bulbils).

Here is a photo from May 23, 2010. I expected the cactus to grow tall, and I did not expect the agaves to get so wide.

I do not expect the agave to live after it has bloomed, but I do think it has a very small pup on one side, which we can then move to a more suitable location. We have room for it in other parts of the yard.

Back in 2010 the neighbors across the street had a huge agave bloom, and that bloom seemed to last for a couple of years. I will post photos of that later.

Lars

Beautiful.... I hope one day I'll have space for some Agave too, in Canada planting them in grounds seem like not the best idea because of the extreme winter...

Here is a photo also from May 2010 that shows the agave across the street from me blooming. Those lasted for quite some time. Photo taken from my back yard - but there was a better view from my front yard.

Lars

cool photo Lars, with the San Gabriels and palms in the background.

Jeri, they often either offset or produce plantlets on the bloom stem such that you end up with at least a few new plants or so many new plants you are giving them away to anyone who will take them and throwing out 500 left over besides.

I am impressed that you recognized the San Gabriel Mountains! I did not know that they were that identifiable.

Here is the blossom, a month later. I took this photo on Christmas. The flower stalk is now about 8 feet tall and still growing. It is a bit difficult to photograph when it is sunny because it is on the north side of the house, but in the morning, it shows up better - or if we have clouds or fog, which we did have a few mornings.

Lars

I look at those mountains every day my whole life, I should know them by now. :)

I think that is A. mitis, formerly named A. celsii, or hybrid of mitis. There are green and blue forms. This species is beautiful but short-lived, only 4 or 5 years to bloom from seed.

Lars,

Thanks for keeping us updated on the spike - it almost always makes me think of tasty asparagus.

Love the Cistanthe, too. Such an undergrown plant (still!) in Southern California gardens.

Thanks for that info - I agree that it looks like an A. Celsii. I am not familiar with the flowers of Mitis, I think I got it at Home Depot as a very small and inexpensive plant, not knowing how large it would get - it was extremely small when I bought it! I will definitely pay more attention the next time I buy an agave!

I'll post another picture when the flowers open.

Lars

A. celsii (obsolete) = A. mitis