I've just received some bulbils for Furcraea parmentieri. It's a member of the Agave family and if you're patient (as in several years at least) it will throw up a spectacular flowering stem............. (http://plantlust.com/plants/furcraea-longaeva/) I had always assumed that it was a plant to grow in Cornwall or London maybe but it would seem that they need some exposure to cold to initiate blooming. If it is too warm it would appear that may never bloom and become palm like specimens instead.................. (original image - http://www.growingontheedge.net/viewtopic.php?p=23166#p23166) I now know of them blooming in Leicestershire and Staffordshire so here goes. Is anyone else growing Furcraea or have you grown it in the past?
My mother in law had a furcurea in her garden in Sussex and it did get those enormous flower heads but only in about one or two years in ten.....think it requires a hot summer.
Way back in 2009 I posted something for IDing in Tropical Identification which now doesn't seem to exist. However, as usual, I believe Pete came to the rescue. These are further north than me where it's not so hot/dry and is colder. Are these them? ...
As it's monocarpic the infrequent blooming would be new plants blooming. From my research it would seem that they need a cold winter to trigger blooming. Yes, it is monocarpic. I don't know for sure how spikey they are but as the leaves look quite soft I would say not too spikey if at all. Certainly looks like them Victoria.
Its not spikey as such, the leaves look pointed, but there are no spines at the end and the leaves are not totally rigid.
Do you know where the two pics were taken @longk . Reason I ask, is because looking at the first pic, the surrounding plants all look pretty much like desert plants, most unlikely to survive in the UK. So probably warmer than the UK, but flowering. Pic 2, is not easy to work out what is growing around, but it looks a lot wetter, possibly tropical, far east maybe. Just an observation
That is north of San Francisco so it sees some frost but not UK levels. Madiera. No cold, no blooms! I'm going to mess about. One planted out with some winter protection, one in a large pot and another held back in a smaller pot. Plus a few seedlings hopefully
I've never planted mine out because I didn't think it would take a minus 5C. If it cant take that, possibly after a wet day, then its chances of getting through a winter unscathed with me are remote.
I have to agree. I'm happy to make a winter shelter for one plant and see how it goes. Four pages of discussion here.
Beautiful longk! I look forward to the bloom photo in a few years It's on my wishlist of plants I would love to grow I remember a few years ago when I visited Tresco I couldn't believe how many of these I saw in Penzance and in and around Tresco Furcraea by Carl Bullock, on Flickr Furcraea closeup by Carl Bullock, on Flickr
@IceColdRum - you would probably have a better chance than most of us as far as growing this outdoors.
