Care of Century Plants
Century plants are known by the Latin name agave. There are small varieties of agaves that can be called "century plants," but most commonly the name refers to the agave Americana, a large, rosette-forming plant (a term for plants that grow leaves in a circular pattern like a rose) often associated with deserts, chaparral and Southwest landscapes. Does this Spark an idea?
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Where to Plant a Century Plant
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Plant century plants outdoors where they will have room to grow large. Many varieties can grow into a solitary plant that is 6 feet wide and about 4 feet tall. These agaves can expand into even larger clumps over time.
Soil Needs
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Grow your century plant where it will get good drainage. It will be happiest in rocky or sandy soils and will grow well on hillsides where water drains quickly. These plants don’t need rich soil and can struggle if planted in slow-draining clay soils.
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Protect from Gophers
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Set chicken wire or wire cages around the roots of young century plants when you plant them. Gophers can chew off the roots of even a large agave overnight, toppling the whole plant.
Sun or Shade?
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The agave plant grow best in hot, full sunlight and dry air, where they can survive plenty of water. If it's exposed to wet soil and cold temperatures it usually leads to rot. It can tolerate temperatures down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, and occasionally short periods of even cooler weather. The important thing to remember is making sure the soil is well-drained or dry if you live in colder climates.
Flowering
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If you care well for your agave Americana, it will flower in about 10 years. The flower can rise up 20 feet in height, branching and looking more like a sculptural tree than a flower head. Once the century plant has bloomed, the plant will slowly die back over the next couple of years. But it will send out many miniature replicas of itself called "pups." Pups can sometimes show up many feet away from the parent plant attached to long underground runners.
Propagation
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Divide agave clumps or closely-set pups, or cut off long shoots with new plants to propagate your century plants. You can transplant these pups and grow them into new, mature plants by giving them the same care of the original century plants. Century plants can also be grown from seed, but it will take a lot of patience.
In a Pot
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The century plant can be grown in a container. In cold winter climates or damp and rainy areas this agave is tough enough to handle being planted in a pot and used as a house plant. Give it the largest pot you can and use fast-draining cactus-mix soil or a potting soil mixed half and half with builder’s sand. Clay pots will be the best choice for good drainage and make sure your plant dries out before watering. Give your century plant as much sun as possible and keep it happy by setting it outdoors during the warmer or drier months of the year. Always move an indoor plant into outdoor shade before subjecting it to any direct sun so it can acclimate to the light change without getting burned.
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