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One More Thing About That Agave...
That's Agave nectar. Not the kind from the bottle, the kind from an Agave.
There is nectar splattered and pooled below the Agave. It tastes like honey. It is as sticky as honey, too.
I thought at first it was a broken irrigation line. What is that moisture?
See it on the middle leaf?
Drips!
Pooled in the Yucca 'Bright Star' leaves
Pools of sweet in the deflating Agave leaves.
Bees are finally at it: Carpenter, Bumble, Honey, and all sorts of others, large and tiny. That dark inverted "V" is a Mourning Cloak butterfly, Nymphalis antiopa.
I don't remember nectar splattered below other Agave species flowers, though Grevillea 'Superb' spots the pavement with nectar--not nearly as much. No pools.
Two beauty shots: Cistanthe
The first Canna flower from the super cheapo big box packaged root I bought back about February. Have never grown a Canna. Had a whim to try one, due to seeing some Canna beauties at multiple Fling gardens. Not a long term thing. A "just to try it" thing.
I put out the flag for the Fourth Of July, somewhat reluctantly. There was much to be disillusioned about this year. But let us celebrate and never forget honorable Americans, such as Luis Alvarez, a former NYC detective who spent his dying days pleading with Congress to extend benefits for his fellow 9/11 first responders. Now that's a hero.
Agave nectar... pretty cool!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for the reminder of Luis Alvarez. I allowed myself to get all worked up and reject any notion of celebrating the flag.
All the nectar was a real surprise.
DeleteSome really good people out there. Luis was one of them!
I have a very similar canna. I wonder if we are supposed to cut off the bloom after it finishes blooming or just let nature take its course?
ReplyDeleteYour agave oozing so much nectar, I bet it attracts lots of critters.
Your flag looks good hanging there. It is right to honor the good of the country.
I wonder myself about deadheading and so did some searching.
DeleteThis video is helpful, deadheading discussed in detail at about 5:40. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XWNlLBbyVA
Happy Fourth of July! There is always something to celebrate despite politicians best efforts. Enjoy watching the herd of creatures take advantage of all that nectar.
ReplyDeleteHope your 4th was happy, too. Very true!
DeleteI was surprised at all the nectar. This is the first Agave bloom that ever did that much.
Seeing the scale of the A. marmorata bloom stalk, and the amount of nectar it represents, makes monocarpism make more sense. That's a lifetime production for sure! Is there a wave of bloom and death after a great rainy season, do you think, or is the trigger just a certain number of years?
ReplyDeleteI think certain number of years/certain amount of carbs stored. That one started preparing to flower last year. I do wonder if all the rain this winter made for more nectar.
DeleteAgave nectar! I didn't see anything like that when my Agave desmettiana bloomed but then they didn't put on nearly the flower show that your marmorata is. I've never grown Canna either but I've been tempted by some of those with the fabulous leaf color. Re your comments on the 4th, I entirely agree. I usually send a lot of e-cards to commemorate the holiday but couldn't work up the enthusiasm this year.
ReplyDeleteI never got anything like that amount of nectar from any previously Agave bloom.
DeleteYes the leaf color on Cannas--the stripey one especially reminds me of Leucadendron 'Jester'. I would have gotten that one had it been in a cheapo package. The one I got has the dark bronzey-brown foliage.
Those e-cards you send are very cool! But with construction disruption, good time for a rest.
A pool of Agave nectar - fantastic! Next time, be sure to bottle some of this liquid gold!
ReplyDeleteAbout the flag - I don't own one, and had the same gut-felt misgivings about celebrating it. But then I thought about all the regular people who keep on in the face of near constant adversary, and the standouts of society (like Alvarez and other first responders), and then I felt better. I still didn't get up the gumption to celebrate, but.... like I said - I felt better. And, at the time, that meant a lot. I wonder what the next year will bring, until we have to do this again.
I wonder, too. Remembering the courage of others is a good place to focus.
DeleteThe agave is quite a busy place, I can't believe all the nectar! Hope you had a good holiday.
ReplyDeleteI did; hope you had the same.
DeleteI thought the nectar from my aloes was bad enough. You can see why the bees and humming birds love them.
ReplyDeleteHumans, too, if tequila counts. ;^)
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