Amazing Agave: Once-in-a-century bloom in Tokyo park
Tokyo, July 17 (EFE).- An old agave plant that flowers once a century has begun blossoming in Hibiya Park, central Tokyo, drawing crowds of curious visitors.
Hundreds gathered on Wednesday to witness the rare event after the plant began showing signs of flowering on July 14.
“We were planning to eat nearby, and when we saw the news about the flower that blooms every several decades, we wanted to come and see it,” said Ikuo Ito, 72, who was in the park with his wife, Nobuko Ito, 67.
The yellow agave, also known as pita, is native to Mexico and the southern United States. It has been distributed to other continents as an ornamental plant due to its long life and ability to adapt to arid and extreme climates.
For many park visitors, the special attraction has been watching the long stem, culminating in the flowers, grow since May, reaching nearly 26 feet in height.
“I have been watching the plant for a couple of weeks since it started to slowly flower. I will come back next week to see how it’s progressing,” said Yukiko Kobayashi, in her 60s who lives in Tokyo.
For Kobayashi, what makes this flower special is that it might not be flashy, but it is very fleeting.
According to park workers, the plant is over 60 years old, with photos of it dating back to 1960. It is now reaching the end of its life, as the agave blooms only once before dying.
This is the plant’s reproduction process, with its flowers normally pollinated by bats before producing fruit that contains its seeds. During its life, it also produces numerous shoots from the root.
Another agave in the same park flowered in July 2019, though its stem reached a much lower height.
“If it were less tall, I could see the flowers more easily, but I have to zoom in for the photos. However, I appreciate that it blooms little by little so we can enjoy it for longer,” said Chiyomi Shimizu, another retiree in her 60s living in Tokyo. EFE
ORIGINAL article here: Amazing Agave Once-in-a-Century Bloom in Tokyo Park.
