Agave side shoot coming from the middle of the plant rather than, like an offset (pup), from the base or root system of the original rosette.
Our first flowering Agave 'Blue Glow' developed side shoots that also flowered, leading me to think side shoots were not worth saving. Because they bloomed, they would die.
Subsequent blooming 'Blue Glow's have behaved differently. Their side shoots were not eager to bloom. This is a former side shoot, rooted and growing as a substantial new rosette:
I don't expect it will live as long as a plant that started life as a bulbil on the flower stem, but hey, it was free, and it looks good.
Update 8/29/2022: still looking good!
Recently my every-once-in-a-while garden guy removed three bloomed-out plants. Here's one:
I harvested a few side shoots from it. The small ones are easy to remove--with some downward pressure, they pop right off:
Pulling off some of the lower leaves will expose enough stem that will then root:
Large side-shoots were too difficult to remove, so they were discarded along with the original bloomed-out rosettes.
The 'Blue Glow' flowering stems that are unbranched give a few seed pods and a few bulbils, anywhere from zero to five or six. Perhaps if they were better irrigated in this garden, there would be more. I've gotten an offset (pup) from only one or two plants, though I've seen some plants for sale with several offsets.
Two bulbils (plantlets) on flowering stem:
Other flowering stems have a strange partial branching structure part way up the stem, like this:
One of those plants gave me an exceptional fifty bulbils, which grew on the small branches of the strange structure; others with the same atypical habit had only a bulbil or two up at the tip of the flower stem.
Eight 'Blue Glows' blooming this year, possibly due to last winter's wonderful rain.
Like bubils, seed pod production varies. Some stems have a few seed pods, some have none. Examination of the pods show most to be empty. Because of the vast number of bees that visit the flowers, it's not for lack of pollinators.
I tried growing plants from seed of the first 'Blue Glow' bloom, ending up with four plants. Three were slightly less attractive versions of a 'Blue Glow':
The fourth seedling was unusual. After some eight or nine years of growth, it is still only about 2" (5 cm) in diameter! Since it is in excellent soil with summer moisture, protected from too much sun, that it is still only 2" implies it is a dwarf Agave.
As to the plant that produced fifty bulbils, I had to stash them here and there, out of summer sun, until they can grow large enough to survive garden conditions.
Starting to pop them in everywhere there is an empty spot:
Looks great with Leucophytum brownii. This well-irrigated one in afternoon shade has a beautiful rich blue color.
In full hot sun, bleached, but still elegant.
Love those 'Blue Glow's!
I dread the day that all my 'Blue Glows' bloom at the same time, which isn't all that improbable as I got most around the same time at approximately the same size. I'm going to bookmark this post to consult when that event occurs. I do have one plant that's been in a relatively small pot for years that's produced a pup. I'd have to break the pot to get them out at this point, which I haven't felt compelled to do (yet).
ReplyDeleteBG's look pretty good for quite a while after blooming, so I've been taking them out gradually. It is a job!
DeleteSometimes you can take a hose and blast the roots stuck in the pot loose enough to get the plant out without sacrificing the pot. More work, though.
Cool. for some reason I thought they did not produce bulbils or offsets of any kind. The 'side-shoot' phenomenon isn't one I've seen in a "Blue Glow" but I have one currently in a A. Celsii 'Nova'. It had recently thrown up a flower stalk as well.
ReplyDeletePerhaps when the original growing point goes into bloom mode dormant buds at the leaf bases are sometimes triggered into producing a new rosette.
DeleteI have an A x celsii 'Nova', beautiful plant. Not long-lived, unfortunately.
How interesting, all the different reproduction variations. That little 2"agave is adorable.
ReplyDeleteIt's educational to grow a bunch of the same plant--growing just one, you don't really know what it can do (good or bad).
DeleteHow cool that you get them from both seeds and bulbils, and how interesting that they are all so different. Those little babies are so cute! And I love the combo with the Leucophytum. This post reminds me that I should probably move my Blue Glow inside. It's in a sheltered spot, but still...
ReplyDeleteWinter hardiness 20-25F. Not an issue here. We have it easy--well except for water!
DeleteA bitter sweet event when all the Blue Glows flower at the same time. I was interested in how you took the side shoots and rooted them. Was under the impression the shoots had to have their own set of roots first to survive. Will try your method next time.
ReplyDeleteI read it could be done but wasn't sure it would work, so I tried it, and it did.
DeleteOn the stem where the leaf joints are, is tissue that can develop into roots. So clearing the bottom of the stem to expose some of the leaf joints is the thing. Ditto for Aloes.
Thanks for the tip. Will give it a try.
DeleteThanks for this post, the most comprehensive on a flowering Blue Glow I've found. Mine has just started it's bloom process at age 12. It's a centerpiece of my garden and I'll be so sad to see it go. Excited to see if I get some bulbils. How long does the flowering last usually?
ReplyDeleteHappy to have been of help.
DeleteThe flowers themselves, each individual flower lasts a few days. The flowers open from the bottom of the stem to the top over several weeks, 3-4 to 6-8? something like that, faster in warm mild weather, slower in colder. The plant itself will take a couple of years at least to die after that, with the flower stem remaining and slooooowly drying along with the rest of the plant. Like the flowers, time taken will vary--slower here in coastal CA but probably a lot faster in hotter areas. A lot of the root system will vanish but the stuff near the surface is tough work to get out--the fibers are strong.
Hi it's Tommy in Long Beach CA. I bought a few pups from a nursery over a dozen years ago. Then and now they remain absolutely beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI yielded pups off a mature plant or two, gave several away, sold, planted, you name it. I only now have 3 very mature plants, one VERY mature and large, and it is the only one thus far to have blossomed, a whopping 20' up is my estimate with no pups on it.
I thought it was to die based on my readings so planned to use the enormous flower stalk as leverage to pry the plant out of the earth. Living in a HOA, the landscapers sort of beat me to it, and to my initial disliking, simply cut the stalk low and out of the plant.
I was quite aggravated about this because the stalk was to be my sole leverage to unearth the behemoth but gorgeous succulent. Ironically I guess it was a gift as weeks and months followed with no visible sign of the plant surrendering its life. Instead I now have FOUR, yes 4 new flower stalks coming out from the sides of this magnificent plant.
Is this common or a blessing and what can i expect next? I sure hope a see some pups on these new stalks!!
Oh, those HOA landscaper crews!
DeleteSounds like the plant was blooming, the landscapers cut the bloom off, and the plant had energy reserves enough to send out more flower stalks. Perfectly normal. The new stalks will flower in a smaller way, if they have the energy, unless the landscapers cut those off, too. Leverage using the flower stalk...have never tried that. The weight of the plant is much more than the strength of the flower stalk, I would think.
I lop the leaves off, slice through the roots with a root slayer shovel, and drag the remains out. If the plant sits long enough there are hardly any roots, they've all dried up. On 'Blue Glow' the plantlets (if they form) take a while to appear--many months, and they will hang on the stem for a year or more. Some flower stalks will produce a bunch of plantlets, like 30, some will produce 2 or 3, some will produce zero. Luck of the draw. When the others flower, ask the guys to leave the flower stems.
I have a 32” blue glow agave that threw up a flower stock after several years. Once the stock dried out, I cut it off. I thought that the plant might behave like a century plants and die, but have ended up with lots of babies growing in between the leaves of the parent plant. Here are the questions: how do I extract the babies without damaging the parent? The space between the leaves is very tight. And, what’s the prognosis on the parent plant? It looks great so far. It’s been a year since it flowered. I live San Mateo in the San Francisco Bay Area.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your help!
Hello, Melissa,
DeleteThe only way I could remove the side shoots was to remove the parent plant and hack it apart to get at the side shoots. You need to get enough base of the shoot so it will produce its own roots. The parent is slowly dying. The side shoots may eventually bloom themselves and no longer be viable as new plants once that happens.
From what I know of San Mateo, it has a lot of cool ocean influence from SF Bay, so your plant is lasting a lot longer after flowering than what it would in a hotter inland location. Some of mine have lasted a year or more at least, and still looked fairly good--I removed them because I had new plants that I wanted to put into the ground. After long enough the roots of the parent plant dry up and its quite easy to pop the old plant out of the ground.
Hope that helps!
Melissa: It's been another year since I wrote and the plant continues to look great. I still haven't done the surgery to hack out the side shoots because the parent looks so lovely. It will hurt to do this!
DeleteCool! If it looks good, it looks good--enjoy it! 👍
DeleteIt's my experience that unless those pups are pulled early they will look like they have bed head from them on. Even as they grow in size. Also some of them have those skinny leaves that never quite return to form.
ReplyDeleteHi Unknown,
DeleteThanks for contributing your experience with the BG side shoots. Good to know.
I've not encountered the Bed Head issue, but the Skinny Leaves, yes, have gotten that. The one in the 2nd photo of the post has become a symmetrical beauty, so...some are worth the removal.
Hi there, I was wondering if those Blue Glow bulbils are exact clone of the mother plants? My friend just gave me some and told me they are not true to parents. Thank you!
DeleteHello, Anonymous. Bulbils are clones of the "mother" plants because there is no father. It is an vegetative (asexual) method of propagation. They may look slightly different but not significantly so.
DeleteThank you so much Hoover! I've planted them and will look forward to them growing true to the mother plant.
ReplyDeleteAt this time of year Bright shade or mostly shade until they are well rooted a good idea so they don't dry out. When they are little they can look a little asymetrical but as they grow they even out and look like 'Blue Glow' should--gorgeous! :)
DeleteHi, I love this blog! We have a Blue Glow that was nearly completely ravaged by a deer. It had a tiny center, which then grew into a plant that looks like an aggregate of just side shoots. I’d like to separate them and start new plants. After I separate them, how do I get them to root? Do I leave them exposed like other succulent propagation, or do immediately plant the side shoot in soil?
ReplyDeleteyou want to pull off (not cut off) enough leaves to expose a stem (see photo above) and yes give them a day or two in the shade to dry out just a bit, then put them in soil, either potting soil or soil soil with good drainage. Barely damp soil. Bright shade.
DeleteI'd wait until spring, though, when they are going to grow roots much more readily than in November. They usually sit and do little or nothing over the winter. End of March/start of April is a good time, then they have until heat really hits in July to get some roots on them. Give them part sun at most until they get a good root system going.
I have 5 massive blue flame agaves that need to be moved - and they have about a foot of stalk where they drape towards sun, the rootballs will be hard to dig out entirely in this old compacted soil- hat would happen if we have to cut them off form the roots, can the stalk grow new shoots ? The agaves measure 2 feet wide around and are about 10 years ol ow and they’ve never yet sent up a central stalk and make no pups so far
ReplyDelete'Blue Flame's may sprout multiple new rosettes on their stems depending on the health of the root system, growing conditions, and adequate irrigation, if you leave the roots undisturbed and some of the stem in place when removing the original large rosette. No guarantees, but this often happens in this situation. It does take time.
DeleteWhat a great source for such a beautiful plant... Questions- will a blue glow about 10 inches wide do well in planter 24 inches wide but only 6 inches deep. How soon would it outgrow the planter and how long do they live? Thank you!!!
ReplyDeleteDepends somewhat on your climate--might be a bit shallow if your temps are extremely hot or extremely cold...can only say here they are all consistently about 42" tall and wide at maturity, with a flower stem height of 8-10', and bloom at about 10 years of age. Hope that helps.
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