Raven on Agave chrysantha — Image by kenne
High Above the City
Black wings folded tight,
the raven waits on golden spires—
agave in bloom.
Far below, the streets
hum with heat and human drift—
unseen, unheard here.
Perched in thin silence,
it watches the city fade
into mountain light.
One call cracks the sky—
then nothing but the wind’s hand
on old stone and flame.
All My Doors Are Open — Image by kenne
A Fallen Century Plant Observed On This Morning’s Walk In Tanuri Ridge — Image by kenne
The century plant, Agave americana, is monocarpic, meaning it will bloom once in its lifetime.
However, it doesn’t bloom in a hundred years but may not appear for 10, 20, or more years, depending on the climate.
Most species in the genus Agave flower just once, although there are a few that are repeat bloomers.
Agave Plant — Image by kenne
“Nearly all agaves, along with most bromeliads such as pineapple, are somewhat peculiar in their flowering habit.
They grow vegetatively for many years (though not the hundred years that gave rise to the common name of
century plant) without producing a single flower, and then when they get the urge to reproduce, they send
forth an enormous stalk with hundreds and hundreds of them. These plants that flower and set seed only once
in their lives are called monocarpic.” — Source: Succulent Gardens
