I loved that agave from you. How fun it will be to watch how fast the bloom stalk grows each day. Keep us posted!

It is at about 10' now. I went out and cleared some of the cedar branches out to give it some clear sailing. I just LOVE LOVE LOVE my new Silky pole saw. That blade sings through wood.

It's going to be massive and beautiful. Is the one on the right pushing up a stalk too?

Could be. I have my eyes on it. They were similar sized pups when I planted them . definite siblings. I would not be surprised. The last several years they have looked like that in spring and I have been holding my breath every year.

but I still need to do more cedar branch clearing but frightened it might damage the bloom stalk with the falling limbs.

3/17

3/22

definite difference between these two days.

Wow -- it's moving right along. As for falling limbs we never think about things like that when we plant them; at least I don't.

Wow, That's amazing !!

Is it also called the Century Plant or is that something else?

Yes it is called a century plant by some.

I could have sworn that I posted this photo of it in the fog after the 3.5

' of rain.

I think it is zeroing in on its final height . The buds are starting to Stretch out. I have trimmed some of the cedar branches around it. I trimmed them after the stem git to level so the branches would skim down either side instead of bopping it on the growth point. I thought that was safer.

These branches are now gone.

Mara, thanks for the update with photos. I'm getting excited! You did post the picture of your plant in the fog on Patty's thread about possible hail.

This is fun to follow, thanks for sharing.

I’m so in awe of these ... a house a few miles away had one on a blooming journey a few years ago, I’d drive out of my way to watch the progress every week.

The form of this flowers are so surreal at this point. The cute knobby flower ends on this flattened out luscious curve and the subtle stipules at the bases of the stems. I am almost tempted to cut it down dry it, and paint it red.....don't know why I am thinking that . Don't worry, I won't

I love it, but what a fabulous ornament it would be in a high ceilinged room :-) Or a coat rack like none other!

I agree! Such a graceful shape. It's like the true nature of the plant is finally showing itself after having to protect its very life through the years with spines and sandpaper skin in the harsh climates in which it has to grow.

This agave has smooth skin, but definite spikes. I was looking at it from across the hill and it has almost topped out over the cedar tree, not quite.

Me bad. I am remiss at my agave duties. Here it is 4/19 just starting to show some yellow

And then again on 4/22. The Anacho orchid tree is in full bloom. I had to stick it in too.

And now today , 5/3.. Anacho orchid flowers are gone, redbud flowers are LONG gone and the agave is still chugging along.

The last one was just for context in the garden. Are you about sick of my agave pictures yet? I'm not done yet. It was supposed to be a rainy day here. HA!.

I got stamens and pistils, or whatever you call them

It’s so majestic. Truly a wonder of nature.

Things are wrapping up. I have been busy and collecting photos bur not getting them up on here. It was a hit with the hummers once the flowers opened. I bet taking a nap in all those bursting stamens surrounded by nectar and pollen must be heaven to a hummer. They were fighting over it.

Hummers galore

It matches my car and my garden shed (kind of)

The flower has "jumped the shark " but looks like a very soft bed for bird

I wonder if it will make seed or plantlettes. I think I will let it die its slow death and see what happens. The base is starting to look tired too. The flower stalk can lean on that tree for a long time before I cut it down and measure it. I will report back then

What beautiful full flowers! Wonderful camera capture of the hummingbirds!

I was going to ask for an update but figured that this is a busy time for your work so didn't. The hummers were in heaven! Thanks for capturing the full progression, Mara.

My husband just had a fall last monday and broke some ribs, his arm and some stitches in a "sensitive area". He had an operation on Tuesday putting a plate in. I catch myself using the royal we. WE had an operation. I am nurse Ratchet again. I thought I was over that role because his spinal fusion had gotten so much better , but we are right back to it. Counting pain meds and hours again.

It is leaning over and Seeds pods are forming. I just want one seed pod. LOL. I don't even know why I want this seed pod. I got plenty of pups. I wonder why agaves have not taken over the world . They make a bunch of seed and a bunch of pups. Time is getting short for this monster. I am not looking forward to this chore.

Such an amazing plant. Just saw your post about Mr Mara, hope he’s feeling better!

He is feeling better. Now to keep him out of the shop and not doing too much. He is up and moving around out there messing with tools.

I just saw that your Mr had an accident. Good to hear that he is feeling better, broken bones are so painful!

I guess you'll have to chop that stalk into smaller pieces with a chainsaw or sawzall? Once it drops, I meant.

I guess so. Maybe I will take the top and paint it red and use it as a Christmas ornament.

I did finally cut the big gal down and it scattered seeds all over the place. I will be interested to see if it volunteers on my rocky soil next year I have plenty of pups so I hardly need any more. It only made seeds which I saved a few. Way too many for any of my uses. It did not make any plantlettes or bulbiles (whatever you call them). She measured 20' all stretched out. I have saved the stalk and stem. God knows what I will do with them. The stalk is surprisingly hard and makes a hollow sound when knocked on. I wonder what its building characteristics are.

Guys and gals, I think this is my swan song . I attacked the remains of my agave and pulled off all the leaves. All the rain got the agave to rot a little. It did make things a bit easier. AND the burn ban was lifted and I did burn the leaves.

The spot is ready for some soil amendment after 20 years of agave. I will most likely let one , And I mean ONE of the pups reside there. Maybe I will plant some more artemisia Valerie finis. The silver will look good with all that dark green.

NOW< I did do one big mistake. I had my mind on other things and not on a timely cutting down of the flower stalk. The seed pods opened and all those very busy hummers made sure there were a lot of seed. It was the drought so I thought all those seeds will just die, Right?... WRONG. It rained and rained and I can tell you that every one of those seeds were viable. They were highly impatient and did not wait till next year. I will be out there weeding and I hope that the freeze this winter kills a bunch of them. Look at this crowd of a zillion baby agaves. They are the grass green monocots (or whatever that word for that type of seedling is) nodding their little black hats. SO , if you find yourself in my shoes, deadhead the stalk earlier , before the seeds develop.

Wow -- it's going to be 'fun' pulling all those.

I see what looks like a wine cup seedling on the upper left. I had a couple dozen of the white wine cup seedlings come up around the planter I had it in last year.

They persisted through this summer's drought with no extra water, which was fine. But now I have hundreds of thousands coming up through the gravel! I don't know HOW I'm going to deal with them! But oh well, that's what plants do --they propagate.

I think we ALL have weeding ahead of us. The drought signals these seeds at the first sign of water to get to work, rain is here. I was amazed how fast desert seeds will germinate when I germinated seed I collected in New Mexico..

Paint some vinegar on those new seedlings before they toughen up and become resistant.

Hell, its easier to just pull them before they toughen up..

I have to tell you, I am starting to become alarmed at the numbers of Parryii Agaves coming up out in my front yard. The distance many have traveled from their parents is alarming and they are springing up in all kinds of painful ways among grasses and wildflowers, if you get my drift. I have at times wondered about the seeds from your agave but probably would have done the same thing. The seeds absolutely do come up very easily. When I was first trying to get them established, it all seemed so innocent.

TX, What , you don't want a drift of agave?

Joey, thanks for the vinegar tip. I thought I had to use 20% vinegar to be effective, but THIS says that ordinary 5% vinegar will work to kill weeds. I imagine it works best if weeds are young and tender, which mine are.

Plus on top of everything else affecting bees this news is not good: Common weed killer thought to be the missing link to what is killing bees worldwide.

I am very favorable impressed at how well the 5% vinegar/dish soap spray worked. The weeds sprayed this morning, mostly that little prostrate growing spurge which was coming up in the graveled areas, are all dried up by mid afternoon. Now we'll see if they grow back from the roots.

Will try it on some other weeds tomorrow. THIS says the sun helps.

I used this little pump up sprayer from Lowes. Works great!