[masraum]

Originally Posted by Joe Bob

The whole plant dies out or just the stiffy reaching for the sky?

The whole thing. Looking in that picture, you've got a bunch of "babies" that are growing up around the base of the big one. Those won't die, but the big Momz in the middle is done for.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave_americana

Although it is called the century plant, it typically lives only 10 to 30 years. It has a spread around 6–10 ft (1.8–3.0 m) with gray-green leaves of 3–5 ft (0.9–1.5 m) long, each with a prickly margin and a heavy spike at the tip that can pierce deeply. Near the end of its life, the plant sends up a tall, branched stalk, laden with yellow blossoms, that may reach a total height up to 25–30 ft (8–9 m) tall.

Its common name derives from its semelparous nature of flowering only once at the end of its long life. The plant dies after flowering, but produces suckers or adventitious shoots from the base, which continue its growth.[7]

I didn't take this pic, but you can more easily see the babies that will continue to live/grow sticking out from the bottom of this momz.




Just to keep things more On Topic...

Chyong Guu Swan 'Ruby Lip'