Monster plant grows 5ft in a weekend and bursts through greenhouse roof
Last updated at 14:51pm on 11th September 2007
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A rare Mexican plant which flowers only once in its lifetime has bloomed in Britain.
Scientists at Bangor University have waited 28 years to see the Century Plant (Agave americana) blossom.
Nobody was more shocked to see the 20ft specimen in full bloom than curator Nigel Brown, who planted the seed when he was a young student in 1979.
Mr Brown said: "We planted it to see if it could survive the British weather and pretty much forgot about it for a long time, just tending to it occasionally.
"Over the last 10 years I was hopeful that it might bloom but it wasn't to be.
"This year's poor summer didn't augur well so you can imagine my shock when I arrived at work after the weekend to see it had sprouted a 5ft flower stalk with such force as to break the roof of the glasshouse.
"It has grown steadily to dominate the south-eastern corner of the display, its crown of rather untidy but impressive succulent leaves spewing out across the gravel like some monstrous creation from the Little Shop of Horrors."
Agave americana, which became known as the Century Plant in the mistaken belief that it blossomed only once in 100 years, is monocarpic, meaning this is the first and last time this shoot will flower.
The scientists, based at the University's Treborth Botanic Gardens, have watched it recover from its encounter with the glass roof and have estimated it is now covered in 3,000 blooms.
In Mexico, its native home, the flowers are pollinated by bats as well as insects.
The rush of sap which fuels the speedy growth of the plant is used to produce tequila.
In addition, the flowers may be cooked in tortillas and the leaves, which may remain fresh on the plant for 15 years, are an important source of fibre for communities of the Mexican desert.
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