Agave sisalana flowers for first time after 10 years at Birmingham Gardens

Birmingham: A ten-year-old agave at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens has finally flowered for the first time — growing so fast staff had to open the roof of the 19th-century greenhouse to let it through.

The agave sisalana, native to the deserts of Mexico, shot up to more than 18 feet (5.5 meters) in just a few months. The towering spike marks what horticulturists call a ‘death bloom’ — the plant’s one and only flowering before it dies.“It will only flower once in its lifetime which is why it’s also called the ‘death bloom’,” said senior horticulturist Alberto Trinco. “All of the energy goes into the flowering and to produce loads of seeds — and then the plant will die.”To track the rare event, staff installed a ‘bloom watch’ chalkboard for visitors to follow the progress. The first buds have now opened at the top of the spike, poking through the glasshouse roof.

The succulent had been growing in the gardens for over a decade, the time it takes to reach maturity. It thrives in hot, arid conditions — and this summer’s heatwave in the UK gave it the perfect push.“It is bittersweet to see it blooming — because it is wonderful to see, but we also know we are going to lose this plant,” Trinco said. “It is such a spectacle for us to witness after growing this plant for a decade.”While this plant reaches the end of its life, the gardens are already planning for the next. Seeds from the bloom will be collected and grown in the nursery.