What makes this cactus really special is the fact that it flowers only for the night! If you have it in your collection and want to make sure it blossoms, then follow our guide on How to Get Night Blooming Cereus to Bloom.
24.07.2023 - 12:31 / hgic.clemson.edu
Have you ever seen a century plant bloom? If not, put it on your horticultural bucket list! Century plant is a common name for a number of species of agave (Agave sp.), usually Agave americana in South Carolina. Most agaves are monocarpic, meaning that an individual plant only flowers once in its life and then dies. In fact, the name “century plant” is a much-exaggerated reference to the long time it takes for the plant to flower. In SC, agaves generally require 10 to 15 years to grow large enough to bloom.
In the summer of 2018, a giant agave (Agave salmiana) planted in 2005 bloomed in my Easley, SC backyard. It was a spectacle that lasted for months and intrigued friends, family, and social media. I first noticed that a bloom was imminent when a spike began to emerge in mid-March from the center of the rosette (spiraled leaf cluster). The spike grew incrementally taller until it reached about 15 feet by mid-April. Interestingly, Agaves are members of the asparagus family (Asparagaceae), a kinship that can be seen in early stages of the agave flower spike which resembles an asparagus spear on steroids.
By the end of April, the spike began to branch at the top into what’s known as a panicle inflorescence. A large cluster of flower buds was held at the end of each branch. In late-May individual yellow, tubular flowers began to open on the lowest branches and progressed up the panicle throughout June. Scores of insects and hummingbirds visited the nectar laden flowers and by the end of June thousands of flowers had opened and faded. Afterwards, the panicle slowly died followed by the rosette which withered to a crumpled heap. It’s hard to imagine a more spectacular end to a plant’s life!
Fortunately, before agaves flower they
What makes this cactus really special is the fact that it flowers only for the night! If you have it in your collection and want to make sure it blossoms, then follow our guide on How to Get Night Blooming Cereus to Bloom.
Apart from parks, gardens and arcs’ decoration, from blossoming in sideways alleys and massive lanes and from mass rose oil production, the queen of flowers makes its way into the family of indoor plants.
Succulent plants get into the florists’ radars due to their resilience to sudden temperature changes and low air humidity which is often the case in warm rooms during winter. If you wonder how to grow cactuses at home, count the peculiarities of the different species, as well as their development and blossoming rhythm.
Everyone loves falafel—it’s a year-round staple, and the frozen options at Trader Joe’s make it incredibly easy to prepare. But today, you should probably rid your freezer shelves of any Trader Joe’s falafel: In the company’s third food recall this week, on July 28 Trader Joe’s recalled its fan-favorite Fully Cooked Falafel after being informed by the supplier that rocks were found in the food.
And that’s a wrap! The RHS Flower Show Tatton Park has closed its doors for another year. But what a whirlwind of a week it has been. From unveiling our first exhibition garden in over twenty years to being busy bees over at our stall, and even winning 3 awards for the design – it's safe to say that Tatton Flower Show 2023 was eventful.
Dana Gallagher
Well, the answer is not tricky. Keep them well maintained, provide optimal growing conditions. Give access to full sun or provide some shade, if you’re growing a flowering plant like impatiens. Besides all these basic requirements, here is this most important tip, which can improve the productivity of your flowering plants–Deadheading.
Another group of tested and trialed garden plants have proven themselves winners in the All-America Selections (AAS) program. The twelve 2022 winners include four flowers and eight new vegetables for home gardens. Two flowers were even AAS Gold Medal Award winners this year, an honor reserved for a breeding breakthrough.
Stroll Around the Beautiful South Carolina Botanical Gardens
PEONIES—the big, traditional herbaceous ones, above—are in their peak moment. I grow them in an out-of-the-way spot for cutting only, not in the garden, as I have mentioned before. Have any that didn’t bloom so well? Some tricks of getting a peony’s full cooperation.KOUSA DOGWOODS are having a really good year in my garden, with a proliferation of bloom, above, that I hope will be followed by good fruit set. Last year, the various Cornus kousa didn’t put on such a big show, and then you may also recall the near-disaster I had with my unusual weeping one. Glad I didn’t cut it down.DAME’S ROCKET, or Hesperis matronalis, is to some a wildflower and to others a w
Are your peonies getting enough sun, or has a nearby tree or shrub grown and reduced the amount over the years (hence a recent decline in bloom, perhaps)? Nearby trees can pose another challenge: When peonies try to compete with extensive root systems of large woody plants, they can lose…meaning reduced bloom. Peonies ideally want a minimum of six hours of full sun a day (you may be able to skimp a little in the more southern part of their hardiness range, Zone 8).nutrientsOverfeeding peonies, which can even happen inadvertently if they are planted beside a lawn that’s being fertilized heavily, can result in bountiful foliage and no blooms. Best to feed them compost or a balanced, all-natural organic fertilizer (never one high in Nitrogen), or some experts like bone meal. If your soil is good, just a sidedressing each year with compost will do