Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 177, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 July 1912 — Century Plant in Bloom [ARTICLE]

Century Plant in Bloom

The beautiful specimen of the “century plant,” Agave atrovirens, which has been a conspicuous object In the Succulent house at Kew gardens, London, England, for many years Was been Invested with a halo of romance, because, unlike Peter Pan, who never would mature, It has grown and grown, outstripping Its neighbor* and pushing its way far up tat© th* glass

roof. . Early in March of the present year the plant—which, by the way, was called the “century" because formerly ft was supposed to flower only once in a hundred years—showed sign* of flowering, the upper leave* that were formed being smaller and less spinous than ordinary leaves. The inflorescence or “pole" soon made Its appearanc», and growing rapidly, reached

the roof in the course of three weeks. It then became necessary to move th* plant Into the epen air, and this entailed the removal of the greater part of the end of the building. The flower spike has continued to elongate and is now some 18 feet high. The plant has exactly 60 leaves, the longest of which is 7 feet 3 inches broad in the - middle and 14 H Inches at the base. Some of the lower leaves are 11 Inches thick in the middle and 15 inches at the base, but only 4 feet to 5 fest to length.