Kew Gardens’ first ever flowering Agave montana plant is mere moments away from bursting into bloom – and visitors are being encouraged to come and feast their eyes on what might be a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ botanical experience. Only two other specimens of the plant – which is native to the mountainous habitats of north-eastern Mexico – are known to have previously flowered outdoors in the UK. London’s scorching hot summer is thought to have contributed to the flowering of the rather sizeable succulent that’s currently sat at two-metres tall in Kew’s Rock Garden.
The ‘asparagus-like stalk’ (or the peduncle to any botanical-buffs out there) is growing a whopping 10cm every day – indicating that it is entering its final stage of life. The Agave montana is a monocarpic plant, which means that it sadly dies after just one single reproductive cycle. This specific type of plant can go years (or even decades) without flowering, before producing one gigantic bloom full of thousands of flowers. The Agave montana that’s currently towering over Kew’s Rock Garden was planted approximately 20 years ago – and is expected to reach its ‘death bloom’ fairly soon.
The Alpine and Rock Garden team at Kew are continuing to keep a beady eye on the prominent plant, monitoring its ongoing progress to ensure they can announce its bloom on social media the very moment it happens. Kew Gardens has said that ‘it will be a race to see the plant before it’s gone’.
The impending bloom (and doom) of this impressive plant has prompted horticulturists to seek out the perfect ‘pollen partner’ for the Agave montana so that seeds can be made for a new generation of the species which could thrive in London’s ever-heightening temperatures.
Thomas Freeth, Head of Collection Management at Kew, said: “The Agave doesn’t require much watering, is very tolerant to the heat and yet can withstand our cold and wet winters, so I’m confident we’re going to see much more of it and related species planted in our gardens in the coming years.”
Anna Lim, Botanical Horticulturist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, said: “This immense inflorescence is an amazing botanical event and it’s something we might only get to witness once every couple of decades. It’s a fantastic opportunity to see nature putting on a spectacular show and learning from it – we will be preserving some of the flowers in Kew’s Herbarium and Spirit Collections.
“Once it blooms, I’d encourage everyone to come and see it while they can. Events like this are incredibly rare – it really could be a once-in-a-lifetime botanical experience.”
You can find out more about the flowering Agave montana at Kew Gardens here.
