In the Garden: Century Plants

A botanical thrill
Out With a Bloom

By Mackenzie Tuberville

{mosimage}Tallahassee resident Grace Dansby was treated to a botanical thrill recently when her century plant bloomed. “The thing shot up overnight to about 8 feet tall,” she said. “It’s awesome. It was like ‘Jack and the Beanstalk.’” Century plants are famed for the rarity of their blooms. It might seem like once every 100 years, but, on average, they bloom in a relatively short 10 years. The spectacular bloom is the culmination of the plant’s life, as it dies soon after flowering.