Century plant is talk of the town

By CHARLES MINSHEW

charles.minshew@gaflnews.com



ABBEVILLE - Earlier this year, a young family became the talk of this small town when a 45-year-old plant in their yard decided that it was time to grow and bloom.

Wilcox County native Rusty Smith, his wife Jennifer, and their 2-year-old son Tripp moved into the home in September and inherited a pleasant surpise.

Jennifer is a stay at home mom with the couple’s son and Rusty is an engineer at Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins.

The century plant that makes its home in one corner of the Smiths’ yard has made its way toward the sky. The fact that the plant has grown so tall isn’t the only thing that makes it unique.

The century plant, also called by its scientific name, Agave Americana, has an interesting trait of growing very quickly. Once the growing process begins, the stalk of the tree-like plant can grow at a rate of six inches per day.

“We first became interested in mid-March,” Jennifer said. At that time the stalk began to come up from the center of the plant, she said. In six weeks, the plant has grown to at least 25 feet in height.

“We didn’t know what it was,” Jennifer said. “We almost dug it up.” She added that she loves typical Southern plants such as azaleas and hydrangeas instead of the cactus-like plants of the Southwest which describes the century plant.

However, unpacking and settling into their home topped their priorities, stopping them from digging up the special plant.

About two weeks ago, Jennifer said, a minivan pulled into her driveway. A group of ladies from the Lake Blackshear area came to the door and asked her if they could see the plant.

She told them they were welcome to touch the plant and have their pictures taken with it.

One of the women told her that the plant “looked like something out of a Dr. Seuss book” and they were afraid that they might not ever see anything like it again in their lifetime.

The plant has allowed the couple, especially Jennifer, who is orginally from Jacksonville, Fla. to meet people in the community.

She said that people go into the local pharmacy and ask employees there all about the people who own the home and the nature of the plant.

“I like it because it’s unusual,” Jennifer said. “It’s a conversation piece.”

“I don’t know what to think. I’m totally shocked,” Rusty said. “It was a surprise and we’re happy to see it.”

History of a special plant

Leon and Stella “Ben” Craft built the house that the Smiths now call home in 1963. About two years later, around 1965, the unique plant was planted in the front yard.

According to the Crafts’ grandaughter, Wendy Howard, the couple was known for their love for gardening. The two would plant many different sort of plants in their garden.

“Their yard was their life,” Howard said. “They were very hard workers.”

Leon Craft was 82 when he passed away in 1996, but in the years right before his passing, he still used a push mower to cut the lawn at their home.

Stella Craft was 86 when she died. She tended to the flowers and plants in her garden often. When she turned 84, her health stopped her from working with her beloved plants.

According to Howard, her grandmother was the first one in their family to plant a century plant, however, she was not the last.

“She would give the offsprings away,” Howard said. Howard’s mother Judy Dowdy as well as her aunt planted them in their yards. In fact, the plant at her father’s house bloomed last year. Some of the plants are also on the farm that used to belong to the Crafts as well.

To Howard’s knowledge, this is the first time that the plant in the Smiths’ yard has ever bloomed. Her grandparents were never able to see the beauty of the plant that is standing today.

Rhonda Henderson’s family moved next door to the Crafts in 1963. She said that the plant was small at the time it was planted. Henderson does not recall the nature of the plant being mentioned when she was younger.

“They always had emaculate gardens,” Henderson said. She has never seen a century plant bloom before.

Her son and his family now live in the home next door to the Smiths and she is excited about the progress the plant is making.

“I think it’s just so interesting,” Henderson said. “We’re anxiously watching to see it bloom.”

The short future

The approximately 45-year-old plant uses all of its energy to make the quick trip toward the sky for its blooms to appear. As a result of this energy loss, the plant will die within a few weeks of blooming.

The buds on the limbs have not yet bloomed, but they soon will.

“It’s definitely been exciting,” Jennifer Smith said. “(The most exciting part is) not knowing what it’s going to do next.”

At least three small offsprings have begun to grow underneath the huge plant. Jennifer said that their neighbors, the Hendersons, have already asked for one of them.

According to her, the couple plans to plant something else in the century plant’s place. Right now, she is considering putting a palm tree in that spot.

Jennifer said “We’ll leave it there as long as it will live and as long as people are interested in seeing it.”

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