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November 25, 2005 : Agave palmeri
Keywords: Agavaceae | Agave palmeri Engelm. | 31451-0055-1995
Palmer's century plant is native to northwestern Mexico, Arizona and New Mexico. Despite the common name, it only has a lifespan between five and twenty-five years. In its final year, it will produce a flower stalk from 4.5m (14 feet) to 9m (27 feet) high. After flowering and during the development of the seeds, the plant begins to senesce. In other words, fruit are produced only once in its lifetime, a botanical phenomenon termed monocarpy.
The Plant Sciences Center of Sierra Vista, Arizona has an interesting write-up about Agave palmeri, with a focus on salvage, reclamation and restoration. The site also alludes to the importance of Agave palmeri as a food source for migratory bats. In “Following the Nectar Trail”, Dr. Theodore Fleming writes about the relationships between lesser long-nosed bats (Leptonycteris curasoae) and plants in the Cactaceae and Agavaceae, including Agave palmeri.
In BPotD news: it isn't entirely bug-free yet, but I'm working on this for those of you who would like to know where the photographs were taken (and where the plants are)...
Photography / art resource link: “Catching The Eye”, an article by Robert Genn on “Photo Familiarity Syndrome”, photography and painting. If you're a photographer and easily offended, steer clear. But, if you enjoy learning about different perspectives on photography, the article and most of the accompanying comments are well worthwhile.
Posted by Daniel Mosquin at November 25, 2005 1:10 AM
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Posted by: Brent Hine at November 25, 2005 7:51 AM
Agave palmeri - Z9, RHS Index of Garden Plants, Griffiths
Posted by: Beverley at November 25, 2005 8:46 AM
i live in a concrete jungle and coming across your oasis of a website was a joy. will definitely be coming back for my sanity. thanks.
Posted by: inky circus at November 25, 2005 8:54 AM
Various North American agaves have been grown outdoors in PNW for years. At least a few species have sometimes gotten rather low zone designations in books. For example, Sunset WESTERN GARDEN BOOK gives [Sunset Climate Zone] 2b ("Warmer-Summer Intermountain Climate") for A. parryi.
FLORA (Global Book Publishing) rates A. palmeri Zone 8.
Posted by: Ron B at November 25, 2005 11:44 AM
Agaves present an interesting challenge to those of us who like to categorize plants by characteristics, such as flowering.
This plant produces vegetative propagules in a couple of ways. The offsets or "pups" that are visible in the image above are produced at axillary buds on stem tissue at or below ground. Other agaves are strictly solitary. All agaves (as far as I know) produce vegetative buds along the inflorescence (the production of plantlets along a vegetative or other axis is a phenomenon known as vivipary). All vegetative reproductive parts are no different from the parent plant (they are clones).
I would be inclined to describe Agave palmeri as hapaxanthic (defined as "of growth related to flowering, an axis determinate by flowering, the plant itself persisting by development of axillary meristems" - http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/Research/APweb/top/glossarya_h.html#H)
Most people describe agaves as monocarpic (as above), a term usually defined as "once-flowering." Clearly, though, if a plant persists and flowers again, it can hardly be described as monocarpic. Offsets and plantlets are biologically all the same individual. But are the offsets of solitary agaves produced at axillary meristems on the inflorescence, or from adventitious buds? If the latter (which I believe is the case), then are these agaves hapaxanthic or monocarpic?
Or is this just too pedantic?
Posted by: Douglas Justice at November 25, 2005 4:42 PM
Everyone seems to agree that there are a few Agave species NOT monocarpic. The only species I've been able to find reference to is A. parviflora. Can anyone identify others? I thought I remembered reading that A. decipiens ("Florida Agave") was one, but I can't find confirmation or dispute of that. It is unique in that it grows a rosette atop a tall (3m.?) stem, but I haven't seen one flower.
Posted by: Guy Robinson at March 18, 2006 9:41 PM
Please share your comments about the photograph(s) and accompanying write-up. Telling a story about the subject of the photograph(s) is also much appreciated! If you have a gardening question, the best place to ask is on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums. Thank you!
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As mentioned in the Plant Sciences Centre link above, this species is indeed making several offsets around the parent plant. Therefore although it is monocarpic, its continuation should be assured. I hope I will be fortunate enough to see it in flower!
Nearly every time I walk past this plant in the garden, I stop to inspect it and marvel at its beauty and ability to persist and even thrive despite its relocation to our Pacific Northwest (ie. winter wet) climate. It was planted in this site in the Spring of 1996 and as you can see, is doing very well. The small plant around its base is Penstemon pinifolius, itself another southwestern USA native.