I think Rob used up all our good luck this weekend.

[cactuswatcher]

Mine is not as bad a disaster as Masq's lost files, but it's still a pain.

I went out watering, and looking for flower buds among the cacti. Found a flower bud in the wrong place. See that little splotch of light color in the top of the lower plant in the icon? That's a bloom stalk. Great right? Wrong. Agaves die when they bloom and I've only had this little one for a year. There are a couple of suckers so it's not a total loss, but most of the plant you see is doomed.

Comments

The circle of life

[ann1962]

I am sorry for your plant. Will the suckers survive? How old could the plant have been as agave's bloom late in their life, right?

May be the flowers will be spectacular [hoping]! Can you get the seed even though I know that is difficult.

Re: The circle of life

[cactuswatcher.livejournal.com]

Yes, late in life. These plants are supposed to live about five years. So I was hoping it would last a little long. The bigger specoes of agave are the ones known as century plants. I read this afternoon that this particular plant will stay green for several months after the bloom. The stalk is supposed to get at least three foot tall so that should be interesting. The plant currently is about as wide as your hand with the fingers together. The suckers act like new plants so they should live for a few years.

Re: The circle of life

[ann1962]

Hoping so. I once saw a century plant at the U of M arboretum/greenhouse that was at least 30 ft high in bloom. That was when I was under the impression that they did only bloom once a century (misnomer). It was very impressive.

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

Is that a bit of grass I see there in that pic? Do you have grass in your yard? One thing I love about Phoenix area yards is how people have really let their landscaping reflect the climate and the broader landscape. So many creative things people do with native plants, colored rocks, and yard knick-knacks of various sorts. Wouldn't want to do real grass in a place like that. Too much work, and it looks odd.

Yes, &@&^%! That's grass.

[cactuswatcher.livejournal.com]

It's just a weed in this picture. It's what we call winter grass. People with no sense seed their lawns over in the winter with grass that will grow in normal climates. It's nice and green and uses water we shouldn't be wasting. The birds get half the seed and spread it everywhere. It all burns up and dies in the summer sun. But, like this year if there are rains late in the winter it looks like a pampered lawn where it should be bare rock in early spring. I have a summer lawn in the front, but I'm thinking of getting rid of it.

I spray to get rid of the grass in back, but close to my desired plants I have to get down and pull it. Arg!

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

Now that's a careful cactus watcher!

It's really sad to see a plant do something like that, especially if you've been working on it to keep it alive. Hope it goes out with a blaze, at least.

You have to watch them closely.

[cactuswatcher.livejournal.com]

If there are lots of bees around to pollinate the cactus flowers, they may only last one day. You have to be ready to see them or wait a year. The agave flowers are usually pretty tough and long lasting.

Re: You have to watch them closely.

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

My father liked interesting plants--grew a lot of orchids--but one of my favorite memories was staying up late one night and inviting all the neighbors over to see the night-blooming Cereus. It was gorgeous. I think it's a desert plant, right? But don't know if it's a cactus.

Night-blooming cereus

[cactuswatcher.livejournal.com]

Yes it's a cactus, and a strange one at that. I don't have any because you really need something like a tree for it to grow under. As you say the blooms are gorgeous, incredible considering what the rest of the plant looks like. It's the prize of many a garden here in Phoenix.