Growing, Showing

Still growing, the agave potatorum stalk is now 80″ long …

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Now showing: A delicate pinwheel-shaped night-bloomer, in white and pink.

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Still growing; open trumpet

First: The agave potatorum’s panicles, or branches, have grown another 7-inches this week … and it’s not finished yet! There are still more buds at the top of the stalk, and the branches themselves are lengthening sinuously in the opposite direction. I was hoping the buds might be open enough at this point to hint at the coming blossom’s color, but I guess I’m just being antsy. It is getting harder to photograph this beanstalk without getting out the ladder since it’s way taller than I am now … for this post’s first picture, though, I went the other way, lying on my back at base of the agave’s pot and shooting straight up. (Tip: never lie on gravel in a tee-shirt!) At the base of the agave the lowest leaves are starting to dry out, foreshadowing its inevitable end … kinda sad, really. In the meantime I’ll continue to enjoy this amazing final performance.

Secondly: The fantastically snaky Monvillea spegazzinii I got at Mexican Hat cactus nursery last weekend, has bloomed! And, the flower’s even better than I thought it was going to be. When I first brought it home there were several long purple/pink buds along the branches, but they were all tightly closed. Now, the purple’s still there, but it’s playing backup to the frilly white central petals, that have a resemblance to those of the night-blooming Cereus. Adding further interest to the star-shaped white petals are a number of lengthy yellow-tipped stamens jutting from the greenish center. A side view shows that the bud’s long trumpet-shape is still there, and just as colorful. Truly gorgeous, front and back; and an amazing feature among the whipping, sometimes-crested, snake-like branches — I feel so lucky to have this plant in my collection. LIke most succulent blooms, these lovelies are temporal. Thankfully, there are still more buds unopened, ensuring I’ll have more of these beauties to enjoy soon. Both these awesome succulents exemplify what I love most about these plants: the element of surprise and delight their constantly changing growth and blooming provokes. Thanks for sharing the amazement with me …