Mystery plant blooms for the first time in 20 years
AFTER years of inactivity Rosemary Le Page was surprised to find bright yellow flowers produced by a large and unusual plant in her garden.
The 77-year-old Castel resident estimated that the plant was around 20 years old, and that it would not last long after this showing.
‘It’s too good to let it just die without anyone noticing,’ Mrs Le Page said. ‘It’s a big one-off thing and it’s giving you its all.’
While she couldn’t recall the plant’s exact origins, Mrs Le Page believed that it was most likely a project of her green-fingered husband, Ivan.
The as-yet-unidentified plant has been growing steadily in the couple’s garden since it was planted, but had shown no previous signs of its recent colourful blooming.
‘He collects cacti, he’s got about 1,000,’ Mrs Le Page said of her husband, a keen gardener and ex-horticultural scientist.
Mr Le Page had worked as a manager in the experimental section of the States’ Horticultural Advisory Service, which was based in Burnt Lane, St Martin’s.
The States Analytical Laboratory provides a range of services to islanders, identifying the nutritional needs, pests, diseases and disorders of a variety of plants.
In recent years the mysterious plant has propagated itself, leading to a small number of young plants now growing around the original, which is now in bloom.
The cactus-like plant stands more than five metres tall and appears to be a member of the agave species, native to the hot and arid regions of the Americas and tropical regions of South America.
Agave are more commonly known by the name century plant because of their tendency to only bloom once in their lifetime. A single bloom may take 10, 20 or even more years to develop and the plant will die once this has taken place.
It also looks similar to a furcraea longaeva, a plant related to Agave, which is native to Mexico.
