My Green Thumbers, What IS this??!
Can anyone tell me what kind of plant this is? I love it and would love to have one in my yard. I thought it was aloe when I first saw it, but I don't think it is. It was at the beach here in NC. Thanks everyone in advance!!
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Valerie on Jan 21, 2014I think it is an Agave Americana. I know that I am not in the States, but they are a huge problem here as they have a very aggressive root system - even coming up through tarmac. I had one on my verge, and although I had two people, who spent two days in an attempt to remove it, it still comes up years later.Helpful Reply
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The Garden Frog with C Renee on Jan 21, 2014I believe Valerie is right. These plants can get massive! about 7'+ tall and up to 12' wide. I saw them on a trip to SC and could not believe how massive they were. They bloom when the plant is at least 8-10 years old. If you do use this plant, I would carefully choose where you plant it because it will get huge and spread. You could always put in a pot in the ground to contain the roots. They are interesting for a beach/desert garden but I would definitely take precautions before planting them. Good luck and happy planting.Helpful Reply
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Douglas Hunt on Jan 21, 2014Valerie is exactly right that this is an Agave americana. I have not heard of them being a problem here the way they apparently are in South Africa, but one does need to be careful in siting them because they can get very large--a leaf can be 6 feet long--and the fact that there is a needle-sharp spine at the end of each leaf. They'll take temperatures into the low 20s, which would be about zone 8b.Helpful Reply
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Jay Smith on Jan 21, 2014we call it a century plant...Helpful Reply
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Laura Carr on Jan 21, 2014We call them a century plant too here in Tx.Helpful Reply
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Helen Garrett on Jan 21, 2014Century plant here in Atlanta, too.Helpful Reply
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Envy Lawn on Jan 21, 2014I believe in Arizona, we also call those century plants. They get these long stalks that grow out of them that bloom, supposedly, only once a century!Helpful Reply
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Fra42152 on Jan 21, 2014Well I came late to the party, but the agave is a beautifulplant not a cactus. In the state of Jalisco, Mexico you can see farms of agavesall in beautiful organized rows. The agave is pollinated by our friends thehumming birds and the bats. The Agave root or pina is the source of tequila. Ihate to sound like Ewell Gibbons here but, “They are edible”. The flowers areboiled or roasted and served in scrambled eggs like the purslane plant is. Thestalks are roasted before they form the summer flowers. The leaves are alsoused and sold in markets boiled down and used for juice and soups and beatenfor soap. They dig pits and roast the whole plant. The liquid can be caustic andit is boiled down for hours. You have to be careful; there are many varietiesof Agave and they will vary in edible quality. All parts of the plant were onceused weapons or household uses from nails to needles and weaving of the fibers.I don’t know everything about this plant but I find it so interesting that Igrow it in huge planters outside year round and trim the outer leaves the waythey do in Mexico. Beautiful. You can find these plants in nurseries in all thelower states including Florida. Email me and I will send you a babyfrancocarma@yahoo.comHelpful Reply
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Fra42152 on Jan 21, 2014I forgot to also say that the Agave sweeteners from this plant are not all the same either. Sorry about the spacing.Helpful Reply
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Denise A. Maloney on Jan 21, 2014We call them 'Agave' plants out here in Southern Califonia...they can grown very large and beautiful!Helpful Reply
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Dianne Kurtz on Jan 21, 2014I was going to say aloe vera plant.Helpful Reply
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Terra Gazelle on Jan 21, 2014Its an Agave..also called a century plant.Helpful Reply
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Helmut H. on Jan 21, 2014Aloe( Agave) is right !Helpful Reply
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Suzanne Eckles-Tassano on Jan 21, 2014Yes it is Agave aka Century plant, they are very expensive really, I have several in my yard and in potsHelpful Reply
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Patty on Jan 21, 2014Agave is correct, I think they are related to the century plant, but are different. The century plant only blooms once every 100 yrs. But the Agave will bloom every year once it reaches a certain age and they are faster growing than the century plant.Helpful Reply
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Marsha Householder on Jan 21, 2014They are very prolific. They have lots of babies and they are so easy to transplant. Little to no care.Helpful Reply
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Valery on Jan 21, 2014Not expensive at all. $15-$20 online for a 3/4 inch potHelpful Reply
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Valery on Jan 21, 2014Not 3/4, but 3" to 4" pot. SorryHelpful Reply
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Roxann Lukima Harrod on Jan 22, 2014that is a century plantHelpful Reply
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Mame on Jan 22, 2014Agave is known as a the Centry plant because it blooms once after 100 years then dies. It is often mistaken for an Aloe plant but they are different plants all together. Aloe plants will " ooze" a transparent gel when broken. the do not bloom and don't have barbs at the tip of the leaf like an Agave does. Aloes don't get as big either. http://whatsthedifference.net ... I thought it looked like a Yucca plant to me which they can be very aggressive, get huge and will bloom once a year but there are many different kinds of Yucca's. too.Helpful Reply
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Mame on Jan 22, 2014Sorry for the wrong link in my last post. This one should be the right one. www.differencebetween.netHelpful Reply
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Charlotte Hall on Jan 22, 2014In New Mexico they are called a century plant. Depending on how long you have had it , it will put on a long pole like spike and it will bloom a yellow flower on top of spike. And then it will die. it will have baby plant around the root area which is very sallow. you can transplant the babies and start all over again. Jokingly most people around here call them bloom and die.Helpful Reply
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Annette DiMattio on Jan 22, 2014Be careful...the sap from this plant can blister your skin. http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/c/century_plant_poisoning/intro.htmHelpful Reply
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Roberto De Uslar Alexander on Jan 22, 2014it´s a Maguey that´s what we call it here in Mexico, there are tons of species all sizes, shapes and colors. https://www.google.com/search?q=maguey&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=fvLfUvT0I8mb2wXM3YGIDg&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1089&bih=711 Tequila comes from the blue kind, and others produce many byproducts. From Pulque, to fibers to make into fabric. Also houses in some areas the Maguey Worm a delicacy here.Helpful Reply
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Frankie Laney on Jan 22, 2014Not all agave are century plants. There are many varieties and a century agave is just one. For additional information check out http://tinyurl.com/pdcgdxtHelpful Reply
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Bonny McDaniel on Jan 22, 2014The warning about this plant blistering the skin is a good one. We had an agave in our yard and it was near the gate to our barn so my husband removed it. However, in the process he got that sap all over his arms and was blistered and sick for weeks afterward.Helpful Reply
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Maggie F on Jan 22, 2014Century plant blooms in 10 yrs for just a little whileHelpful Reply
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Betty Ganung on Jan 22, 2014Mine I call a Yucca and it blooms every year. When we built the house the grader for the land took it out I thought and I was upset but the next year it started growing again and with in a year was almost its original size and has had the typical flower stalk every year since.Helpful Reply
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Marz Bo on Jan 22, 2014Looks like the Aloe Plant or the Agave Plant, these are related to cactus family you know the Agave Plant is used to make "Tequila" very common here in the SW in fact there are several large flowering plants growing along roadside in my neighborhood.Helpful Reply
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Jim on Jan 22, 2014I have one in my yard and several people have gotten poked by it. I usually cut off some of the sharp thorns and worry that a child could get a serious wound from it. Everyone calls it a Spanish dagger. Do not get one.Helpful Reply
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Jackie M on Jan 22, 2014A Yucca, possibly a hybred yucca.Helpful Reply
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Loretta Tyler on Jan 22, 2014a yucca plantHelpful Reply
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Linda on Jan 22, 2014Looks to be an agaveHelpful Reply
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Debbie Sopher on Jan 22, 2014I think a yucca. My mother in law had one in her front yard and absolutely hated it. I am not sure why, but it was hard to remove.Helpful Reply
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Mary Swanson on Jan 23, 2014Agave parryi? Not sure which ones grow beyond zone 5Helpful Reply
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Patricia Gill on Jan 23, 2014agaveHelpful Reply
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Betty Guidry on Jan 23, 2014@Leah Belverd This is an Agave or "Century Plant" I have several in my yard ~ bought one at Walmart but I live in Texas! That one had several "babies" breaking thru the pot when I got it home. I keep them in tubsHelpful Reply
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Mary Hill on Jan 23, 2014Century plant that has a beautiful flower when it blooms usually white or cream color. Had a part of a backyard full of them. They require little moisture and looks pretty in a desert garden. I have seen many of these in bloom at one time against the beautiful NM sky and it is quiet beautiful.Helpful Reply
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Rocky Mountain WaterScape on Jan 23, 2014agaveHelpful Reply
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Milly on Jan 23, 2014It's a century plant. Not a yucca.Helpful Reply
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DARLENE D on Jan 23, 2014It is an agave plant, yes it is used to make tequila. It is wise to cut the bottom leaves and tips. It will grow up to 5-6'. We decided to pull ours out, roots and all it was too invasive.Helpful Reply
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Annie Clarke on Jan 23, 2014Yes, it's an Agave, and it also spreads! It will grow to be huge, even without watering it and the spikes are treacherous!Helpful Reply
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The Residences At The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain on Jan 23, 2014We have a lot of these types of plants in Arizona. It probably stands out as a bit unusual in North Carolina!Helpful Reply
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Judy on Jan 23, 2014Century Plant (Agave Americana) http://www.naturesongs.com/vvplants/centuryplant1.jpgHelpful Reply
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Susan Lewis on Jan 23, 2014looks like a century plant. After it blooms, it dies. Usually blooms after it is 20-30 years old. Bloom has obnoxious odor.Helpful Reply
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Maria C on Jan 23, 2014It is an agave plant, it is used to make tequila they are so many where i born in Jalisco, MEXICO..Helpful Reply
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Maria C on Jan 23, 2014https://www.google.com/search?q=campos+de+agave+tequila+jalisco&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=W8ThUufRKqbQ2wW05oHABw&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAg&biw=1920&bih=918Helpful Reply
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Linda Geier on Jan 23, 2014I'm with several others that this is an Agave. Sometimes called Century Plant. I have a similar one in my basement with new plants coming off the sides that I will have to do something with come spring. It has extremely wicked spines and I'm not sure just how I'm going to repot it without getting stuck. Treat it like a cactus.Helpful Reply
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Carole on Jan 23, 2014I agree it is a type of Agave. They can grow really big and I think they put up a long spike when they flower. If it sets 'pups' remove them and replant them as otherwise it can kill the parent plant to leave them attached for too long. Well drained soil is the way to go for these plants.Helpful Reply
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Lyn Ennis on Jan 24, 2014You make tequila with it! Cut the "leaves" off and bake the "bulb" (which looks like a pineapple) in a oven for a long time. Tastes great cooked or you can press it and make your own brew!Helpful Reply
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Linda on Jan 24, 2014Century plant or Agave americana, either one is correct. Tequila is made from the blue agave plant and only grows in Mexico.Helpful Reply
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Cindy Carr on Jan 25, 2014Century plant. I had one growing for years and I mean about 20 years. One day it bloomed and shot a beautiful spike of wood with blooms all over it into the sky about 20 feet. We had to stake the spike and people would stop and look at it from the street. The bloom lasted about a month or more. Than it shot out about 2 or 3 babies vertically and about year later the mother plant did the same. After that spike died the entire plant died. Not sure what all of that meant but we have pictures of the bloom and still go back and admire the beautiful work of God. awww...just read all the comments and the baby plants will kill the mother one if not seperated. Wish I had known that then...but still it was a work of God and we were blessed to have had it when we did.Helpful Reply
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Nancy J Goldwire on Jan 26, 2014Douglas Hunt is knowing what he is talking about. I lived (A loved) the Trans Pecos Region of the Northern Chihuahua Desert , an area where these Century Plants (Agave) are EVERYWHERE. They can easily become invasive. After the mother plant blooms & dies, there are left behind "many" pups. Unless you want a jungle of Agave, get rid of them! The tips of leaves are extremely sharp & should be clipped. They will, also, emit a "poison" substance that burns like the devil. The blooms are treasured by Hummingbirds, who feast on the flowers. The one in my yard grew to 25' before blooming, the flower spike grew even taller! And that was completely without water! Enjoy the blooms & the Hummers, then say good-by to your Agave.Helpful Reply
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DARLENE D on Jan 27, 2014Google the Agave plant. You will see the plantations in Mexico where a lot of agaves are planted....Helpful Reply
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Stephanie Wilson on Mar 29, 2014Agave. It's some kind of cactus. My aunt has one that is almost as big as her house. No kidding. It's amazing. I'm not sure how she got it so big but I know it's very old and it has babies. I never tried to grow one but they are striking!Helpful Reply
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Evonne Kruger on Mar 29, 2014Looks like a yucca to me Wabasha, Mn.Helpful Reply
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Marianne on Jun 23, 2014Definitely a Century Plant (Agave). I have several throughout my yard in NC. I like them, a great conversation piece.Helpful Reply
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