Hi Plantmanager,
I've talked to a lot of ex AZ people so far. Are you familiar with the park where I've been taking all of my photos?
Yeah it is sad they don't want them because they are so gorgeous BUT they reproduce like mad! Under those big plants and tons and tons and tons and tons and tons of pups!
The mother plant pretty much sits on them. So when she goes there are plenty to replace her.
It takes about 35-40 years for the Century plants to get their stalk and of course that's the swan song...they're caput after that and will die anyway so removing is necessary. The flowers and pods on it are pretty interesting too.
It is a horrific job removing these things. Long sharp spear like leaves with lateral spines. They're tough, coarse fibrous and woody. Oh...and they have this wonderful toxic sap that if you get it on you causes hives, burning, itching and hangs around for a week or more and can come back again later. The plant does not want to be messed with!
They are amazing in the heat, drought, yucky soil, rain, frost etc. You can't kill these things or their pups. The pups grow fast! I'm convinced you can fling them out a car window and they'll grow anywhere they land. A neighbor gave me 12 when she cut down her plant. (below photos) Uhm...I had to give 10 of them away when I saw how big they were getting and how fast.
Pretty plants and they never cease to amaze me though. They probably are my favorite desert plant. I'm always awed by how HUGE this thing is. It's a plant!
Are plants supposed to be that HUGE? I kept waiting for it to say, "Feed me..."
If I didn't know what I was looking at I'd swear it was something from Mars.
They were the reason though I got into gardening here. I just found their shapes so alluring and wanted to have things that looked like living sculpture and works of art in my yard. So this gnarly beast of a plant inspired me and started all of my gardening obsessions.
Here's some photos of pups and some of my neighbor's plant when it was dying/dead and they carted it away.
