Rare Plant Set To Bloom In Oak Park
OAK PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- A rare plant is nearly in bloom in Oak Park. It's called a "Century Plant"
Rare Plant Set To Bloom In Oak Park
Henrietta Yardley, the manager of the Oak Park Conservatory, explains why.
"Each plant blooms only once when it has matured and that typically takes 30-35 years and it is mature enough after that to flower and the flowering process is relatively slow we have been watching this from March 23," said Yardley.
But there's a reason the Agave Americana takes its time.
"Once this plant blooms, it will die," said Yardley.
But then, new life.
"From the root system of this plant we'll get some new offshoots or new plants from the roots and then they'll take another 30-35 years before they bloom," Yardley.
The plant is quite a sight to see at this point, about 35 feet tall and poking through the conservatory's glass ceiling.
