Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Monday - November 18, 2013

From: Cayucos, CA
Region: California
Topic: Propagation, Cacti and Succulents
Title: Both large and small Century plants putting up stems from Cayucos CA
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

I have a Century Plant that is sending up a stem. I am excited to see it bloom. I noticed that one of the small pups, about 4 inches tall, is also sending up a stem. I have not found a mention of pups having a stem in my internet searching. Do you have any idea why a pup has a stem? It is very curious and cool.

ANSWER:

There are ten members of the Agave genus with the common name "Century Plant" native to North America, but only three, Agave americana (American century plant), Agave deserti (Desert agave) and Agave shawii (Coastal agave), are native to California. This probably doesn't matter to you, but it is one way we have to attempt narrowing down what plant we are talking about. In this case, it still doesn't matter, because none of them are native to San Luis Obispo County, CA. All three are native to Riverside County and/or San Diego County, down in the desert southwest of California, which is where we would expect a desert plant to grow. If we may be excused for being facetious, that little plant may be so surprised at growing in a lush seaside area like San Luis Obisbo county that it is throwing up a bloom stalk just to show it can.

From our webpage on Agave deserti (Desert agave), please read this paragraph:

"The Century Plant is a member of the agave family (family Agavaceae). Agaves are stout plants with woody stems or stem-bases, often tall, even tree-like, the long and narrow leaves crowded in rosettes at ends of stems or branches, a stout rapidly growing flower stalk arising from the rosette. Century Plants do not take a century to flower, but it may take them several decades to store enough food reserves to supply the rapidly growing stalk and mature the seeds. Then the rosette, often representing the entire plant, dies."

We (strictly guessing here) are thinking that if the baby plant is a true offshoot of the "mama," the growth hormones in the mama may have influenced the stalk in the baby. However, the baby has not had the many years of maturity needed to make a bloom and the stalk on it will likely wilt and drop off. And, if it is that closely linked to the mama, it will probably die when the mama does, after producing her bloom.

 

From the Image Gallery


American century plant
Agave americana

Coastal agave
Agave shawii

More Cacti and Succulents Questions

Winterizing non-native sedum in Saskatchewan CA
October 31, 2011 - What should be done to winterize a autumn joy (sedum)?
view the full question and answer

Pollinating moth of Arkansas Yucca from Arlington TX
May 15, 2012 - What is the pollinating moth of the Arkansas yucca. I have Desert willows which is the larval host for white-winged moth, but the yuccas are still not seeding. What other larval hosts plants can I p...
view the full question and answer

Runaway Agave Americana from Pacific Palisades CA
April 29, 2013 - We live near open space on Santa Monica Mountain State Park. Our Association planted non-native, invasive Agave Americanas all over the adjacent slopes, and we are trying to get the exploding pups and...
view the full question and answer

Problems with Strawberry Hedgehog cactus from Temple TX
June 03, 2012 - I had purchased a Strawberry hedgehog Cactus (echinocereus stramineus) a few years ago from the Wildflower Center's annual plant sale and planted it then. It has now started to brown from bottom to t...
view the full question and answer

Can a prickly pear cutting from Harker Heights, TX find happiness in Long Island, NY.
November 03, 2012 - Took a cutting of a prickly pear cactus from my daughters garden in Harker Heights, Tx. Her plants are 5'ht.& wt. Set it into a 10" pot with garden mix soil. Early July 2012, brought it home to Long...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.