1/2 Corné Hopstaken at the special blossom of the agave (photo: Erik Peeters)
A small miracle takes place in the cactus greenhouse of the Arboretum in Oudenbosch. For the first time in fifteen years, an agave flourishes, and how! Hundreds of flowers hang on the four meter long stem. “I have never experienced such an exuberant flowering,” says volunteer Corné Hopstaken.
Agaves occur naturally in warm regions in America and Southern Europe. They are also held in the Netherlands, but they rarely flourish. “For that, a plant must be fifteen to twenty years old. They almost never get this age for private individuals. Moreover, the circumstances must also be ideal,” Corné explains.
A few weeks ago he saw to his big surprise that the agave in the greenhouse began to bloom very carefully. “That was a special moment. The stem then grew at a breakneck speed of about ten centimeters a day. If you look closely, you see that the plant is slowly being exhausted.”
“It is mainly about the size of the stem that is downright spectacular.”
Anyone who thinks of beautiful colorful flowers will be disappointed when the flowering of an agave. The blossom splendor is limited to hundreds of small yellow spurs on the meter -long green stem. Corné: “It is mainly about the size of the stem that is downright spectacular. In addition, this flowering is extremely exceptional.”
The flowering botanical plant now attracts quite a bit of attention. Even people from Sliedrecht come to the Arboretum on Wednesday to see the natural wonder with their own eyes. “I had seen a photo on the website, but in real life it is very special,” it sounds admiring from the mouth of the South Hollandse.
‘Swan song’
According to Corné, flowering takes a few weeks. “It is also the swan song of the plant, then she dies in beauty.”
