Some unique plants at the Des Moines Botanical Center are getting attention as they begin the process of blooming. Todd Munson is the lead gardener at the center, and says the three Agave plants are expected to soon reach the end of their life.
Munson says it’s a plant from Mexico that only blooms once in its life, and then dies. The plants can be 25 to 40 years old. Some people call the unique greenery "Century Plants," because they supposedly bloomed only once every 100 years.
Munson says one the plants just started showing signs of getting ready to bloom. He says it sent up a bloom spike about two weeks ago, and has gone from six inches to about three and a half feet. One of these plants created some problems in New York.
Munson says he was at the New York Botanical Center 18 months ago and they had to remove a panel to allow the plant to grow. He says the New York building is much shorter than the one in Des Moines. Munson says they should have plenty of room for their plants to grow and bloom.
Munson estimates the Iowa plants are three to four weeks away from reaching their ultimate height and blooming. The Des Moines Botanical Center is open from 10 A.M. until five p.m., and the admission is four dollars for adults and two dollars for children and senior citizens.