Century plant blooming in Long Beach

Long Beach Breeze reader Judy Mann contacted the Breeze about a century plant that is currently in the process of blooming in Long Beach. The plant is located in front of Shaggy Chic Pet Salon at 8102 Red Creek Road.

Reader Judy Mann recently alerted the Long Beach Breeze about a special plant that is putting on a show in the area.

Those who drive down Red Creek Road past the Shaggy Chick Pet Salon will notice a nearly twenty-foot-tall stalk towering in the sky, which will soon be adorned with pale yellow or white flowers.

The “century plant,” Agave americana, is monocarpic, meaning it will bloom once in its lifetime. Even though it doesn’t take a hundred years for it to flower, the “century plant” name was given because the plant is slow growing and can take ten, twenty or even more years to bloom, depending on the climate. After the blooming process (often called a “death bloom”) is complete, the plant dies, but not before sending out shoots, also called “pups,” from its base, allowing for a new round of plant life.

Many species in the genus Agave flower just once, although there are a few that are repeat bloomers.

When the central stalk emerges, it can grow several inches a day, with some century plants observed to have as much as a foot of growth in a single day. They typically end up being ten to twenty-five feet tall, with occasional heights of up to fifty feet reported.  The plant produces clusters of flowers coming off of the stalk.

Century plants can be very large, with their base including leaves that can span a dozen feet across. They have been known to have leaves that are nearly a foot wide, and leaves often have sharp teeth along their edges. Plants typically have solid, gray-blue or gray-green leaves, but there are variegated leaf versions, as well.

From emergence of the stalk to death of the plant, the process can take several months, depending on the species of plant, the climate and other factors.