Here is the story about our agave plant. We had just purchased a new home about 2 years previous to the time we bought this agave plant from a local discount store here in Massachusetts. That was approximately 12 years ago.

We do not know what the exact botanical name of the plant is, (probably because we bought it in a discount store!), but it is one of the thread leaf varieties (possibly Agave filifera). We will continue our quest to establish the exact variety.

Since we purchased the plant, we have managed to co-exist with it quite nicely, except for the occasional stabbing by the plant when we venture too close. There are very sharp spikes at the end of the leaves, you see.

Imagine our surprise at the end of May 2002, when a stalk suddenly appeared in the center of the mother plant! At the beginning, the stalk was growing seven to eight inches a day. Since the plant was in the house, and the ceiling was getting closer and closer to the top of the stalk, we kept our fingers crossed for weather outside that would permit us to move the plant onto our deck. We were still having night time temperatures close to freezing.

When we finally decided, on June 9, that the coast was clear, we moved the plant to its outside location - sideways - since the stalk would no longer fit through the door.

This is our photo timeline for the plant thus far. From our research, we expect that the plant will die after the stalk has matured.

We are hoping that Mother Nature will cooperate and give our agave time to perform its grand finale before the cold weather arrives in the fall.

Click on a picture for a larger version