FlowerPotNursery Century Plant Agave americana 6" Pot

Agave americana, common names century plant, maguey, or American aloe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to Mexico and the United States in Texas. It is cultivated worldwide as an ornamental plant, and has been naturalized in many regions, including parts of the West Indies, South America, Mediterranean Basin, Africa, Canary Islands, India, China, Thailand, and Australia.

Despite the common name "American aloe", it is not in the same family as aloe, though it is in the same order, Asparagales.

Although it is called the century plant, it typically lives only 10 to 30 years. It has a spread around 1.8-3.0 m (6-10 ft) with gray-green leaves of 0.9-1.5 m (3-5 ft) long, each with a prickly margin and a heavy spike at the tip that can pierce deeply. Near the end of its life, the plant sends up a tall, branched stalk, laden with yellow blossoms, that may reach a total height up to 8-9 m (25-30 ft).

Its common name derives from its semelparous nature of flowering only once at the end of its long life. The plant dies after flowering, but produces adventitious shoots from the base, which continue its growth.

Give credit where credit is due: Wikipedia 2022