Century Plant
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Century Plant
  
(Agave americana)
  
NORTH OF OLD MAIN'S WEST ENTRANCE
  
36 Used for fiber in Mexico. After a number of years (not a century as the legend goes-more like 20 years) the plant throws up a giant twenty foot blossom stalk. It blooms, produces and dies. Seedings and little off-shoot plants start the cycle all over again.

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In Depth Agave americana, Century Plant
Location: NORTH OF OLD MAIN'S WEST ENTRANCE
Family: Agavaceae
Distribution: Arid areas of Mexico and southwestern US
Habitat: Well-drained sandy or gravely areas
Habit: Large basal rosette with no stem
Flowering: Flower stalk of 20-40 feet with large 3-4 inch yellow green flowers.
Natural History Notes: Agaves can take 10 or more years before flowering, often longer in colder climates. A. americana dies after blooming, but sends out offsets or ‘pups’ to continue the species. In Mexico and Central America agaves are often used for fencing by planting them close together in a dense hedge. The sap is used as a diuretic and a laxative. The juice of the leaves is used for bruises, or consumed for indigestion, flatulence, constipation, jaundice and dysentery. The flower stalk and plant heart are sweet and can be roasted for food. The seeds are often ground for bread flour or as a thickener for soups and gravies. Many alcohols are also obtained from different species of agaves. A. americana is used ornamentally in landscaping, especially the ‘Marginata’ cultivar, appealing because of the yellow margins on the leaves.