Growing a Century Plant

toblerone: Ah, LOVE toblerone choccie bars!

Century plants are an agave, cousin to the amaryllis, and they grow in basically arid soil. A shaded spot won't be a good spot. They're a desert plant and thrive well in desert sandy conditions. Most of the people I know who have "harvested" Century plants to dry and preserve as alternate, "Christmas trees" find them in such areas, often on barren outlying islands or outlying undeveloped land spits.

The mature plant produces base offshoots which of course can be propagated by simply removing and replanting them.

Topsoil will be too rich for them, fertilizer likewise, they need full sun and conditions relative to the parent.

A rule of thumb in trying to take cuttings or offshoots of any local plant is to observe in what conditions that plant is prospering, take a good portion of the surrounding soil and go from there.

I'd add that like any agave plant, the century plant is VERY slow-growing even under perfect conditions.

Cheers and good luck!

we had several mature century plants on our property - they grew in really dreadful soil - the stony stuff - they were never watered and totally neglected - they thrived.
BTW, we were in La Grande Princess on STX

I think this is interesting about the the century plant - it is native to the America's, and was brought back to Europe by one of the first explorers (da Gama? someone like that,) as it was mistaken for aloe. I saw it around Italy and wondered about it...