What is going on in my garden?

Oct 22, 2018,09:16 AM
 

A normal Agave Attenuata looks like this, and we have dozens of them in our back yard.




but one seems to have erupted into bloom - in 30 years I have never seen anything like it. Wikipedia suggests it might grow to 10 feet or more!



Honestly it's a little scary because it has risen about 6-8 inches a day for the last week!



Cazalea

(yes, using a 5 sec/year watch to time the growth of a "century plant" is overkill, I admit it)

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It can be a good sign!

 
 By: Watchlover78 : October 22nd, 2018-09:27
Baxter

Ever seen Day of the Triffids?

 
 By: reintitan : October 22nd, 2018-09:40
Better have some salt water handy

Sneeze on it

 
 By: MTF : October 22nd, 2018-10:08
The best defence is offence..... Kill the blighter! 😠 Chopard Superfast Chrono Porsche 919 Edition by the River Avon ...  

I tried chopping out a large one, but the small ones warned me to stay away

 
 By: cazalea : October 22nd, 2018-11:07
They greatly outnumber the humans in the household ... What's really scary is I can see visible changes / expansion in the two hours since my last post! I'll let you know how it's going - if you don't hear from me again, call the Forest Rangers. Cazalea ...  

Enjoy the bloom...

 
 By: manilx : October 22nd, 2018-23:09
It’ll die after that.

it's still growing - giving me a Seiko photo backdrop

 
 By: cazalea : October 25th, 2018-16:33
Getting scared, Cazalea ...  

It’ll grow a lot taller....

 
 By: manilx : October 25th, 2018-23:38
From what I can see. At least double that and it’ll bend downwards, gravity has its pull. After the bloom the mother plant dies but should have grown daughter plants around. This species not so but others in the family are typical for our coast here in Po... 

It is getting taller, and bending a bit

 
 By: cazalea : October 26th, 2018-12:01
It reminds me of my sea serpent yard sculpture that we bought many years ago: ...  

Update - now as high as I can reach

 
 By: cazalea : November 1st, 2018-11:27
This is kinda fun maybe we should bet on the eventual height Did you say it could be 10 meters? ...  

Not this one.

 
 By: manilx : November 2nd, 2018-00:21
It’ll bend to the ground before 😉 These yes are really big. Like a tree and common on our cost. ...  

At the rate it’s growing...

 
 By: KMII : November 4th, 2018-01:55
You may well need a chronograph to time it Very cool shots, Mike!

Today's UP UP UPDATE

 
 By: cazalea : November 4th, 2018-14:45
The agave is still growing upwards - it's well above my reach now - I estimate 9-10 feet depending on the wind. Here's a selfie shot of it Further reports to follow (after I buy a new lens for my camera!) Cazalea ...  

And a fantastic chronograph you chose, too :)

 
 By: KMII : November 4th, 2018-23:34
Really looking for the final result - given that my daughter gets us to watch Puss in Boots all the time these days, you sure these aren't the magic beanstalks?

Here’s one in nature...

 
 By: manilx : February 3rd, 2019-07:59
...  

Wow! That's a monster

 
 By: cazalea : February 4th, 2019-07:35
Now that I have one blooming in my garden, I am seeing many others around town. As often happens with things like this (or buying an odd car), what you thought was unusual turns out to be all over the place! Mine's just about finished, I think. It's weigh...