century plant bloom

A century plant is a very large agave with sharp, painful needles. They bloom once, then die, leaving rooted starter plants. The stalks are very impressive. They grow quickly to about 20 feet tall. During this time, they look like the Jolly Green Giant's asparagus stalks. I was thrilled to learn recently that the stalks and blooms were used on movie sets as plants on alien planets in the cheesy old movies. Century plants are originally from Mexico, but they are all over the Texas Hill Country. This is my front yard.