Don Palmer, a Carriere resident, has a century plant in his front yard that is nearly ready to bloom.

According to an article by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, century plants are a type of agave. They usually bloom at around ten-years-old and can grow to more than 25 feet tall, the article states.

Palmer said his century plant was given to him about 16 years ago when it was small. He said he didn’t know what it was, but liked how it looked and thought it would be a good addition to his landscape. Now, for the first time since he planted it, the plant is ready to bloom.

He said it only took two months for the plant to grow its enormous stalk. Now, Palmer said it looks like the original plant is beginning to die off and another plant is growing from the old one. He said this is his first time to see a century plant bloom and looks forward to what the blooms will look like.

Palmer said he doesn’t have to water it or perform any maintenance on it – it just grows on its own. The only thing he does is trim the long spikes that grow from the plant since they can be painful if a person wanders too close. He said a lot of lizards live in the plant, since its sharp edges keep his cats away. 

According to the Wildflower Center’s article, century plants prefer hot, dry climates. They have several positive environmental uses, the article states. Century plants provide nectar to hummingbirds and insects, seeds to various birds and small mammals and a safe place for small creatures to live.