A 2021 Century Plant's Unfortunate Life Cycle

On January 18, I spotted the agave with an emerging stalk. (Speculating it started its growth maybe the previous week.) Its timing seemed way earlier in a year; many others I've observed seemed to start in early March. Furthermore, it was yellowy rather than green. After a few more pictures, mostly weekly (last one on Feb 8), the February deep freeze hit.

The deep freeze interrupted my attempts at Monday pic-taking for nearly two weeks. By the time I took a pic on Feb 20, I saw that the stalk had been cut part way, and half the leaves limp. Between that day and March 21 (3 1/2 weeks, I was preoccupied with taking post-thaw pictures elsewhere.) Anyway, visits on March 21 and more recent were disappointing—bottom leaves amputated, the stalk cut even shorter, and browning of the plant overall.

A few years ago, I'd seen agaves with leaves cut very short. Shortly thereafter, the plants would gone. In one instance, I'd see it looking weaker before it was removed. Because I never got to see recovery, I thought maybe leaf removal was like amputating limbs and interrupting nutrient flow. Also though that the exposed cross-sections might attract disease or pests.

Trimming Agaves for Pineapple-look Effect

The final plant pix show severely trimmed leaves, but not quite as "pineapple-y" as other cut-leaf pix I've seen online. I then thought to Google for agave pineapple cuts or similar. Some resources on the look, practice, and finger-waggings:

"The Pineapple Cut" shows images of agave leaf trims. One main effect is lessening the plant's diameter.

"Pruning Cacti and Succulents" advises in the Agaves section:

Never "pineapple" an agave (removing live leaves all the way around the circumference of the plant leaving only a tuft at the top), as this renders the plant susceptible to sunburn, insects, disease and rot. If you must prune dead leaves, eliminate only the bottom layer. Removing the pointed tips is also not recommended, mostly for aesthetic reasons.

"Detrimental Agave Trimming continues…" describes the decorative pineapple trimming and presumed reason.

The origin of agave trimming came from the harvesting of agaves for the production of tequila and mescal in throughout various parts of Mexico. This practice is performed when the plants are ready to be processed at the distillery a time when all the leaves must be removed for transportation purposes. ... Not having the bottom leaves weaken agaves and they becomes susceptible to diseases and snout weevil attack. Other lower leaf functions include protecting the plant trunk and the roots from the inclement sun.

Related: "So THAT'S Where Tequila Comes From" describes a company's tequila-making process using blue agaves. One pic shows leaves trimmed so the plants resemble pineapples.

General Agave Trimming Advice, 2021 Freeze, Freeze Advice

"Some of the leaves on my agaves are damaged. Can I cut them off? If yes, how can I prevent the wound from becoming infected? ..." advises care in task preparation:

the sap of the agave can be caustic and cause skin and eye irritation; we would suggest wearing goggles when you cut.

first get rid of that long spine that's ready to get you in the knee or eye. Then, decide if you want to cut farther down on that leaf or leave it to callus over. When you have trimmed back all the leaves that are damaged, you will probably want to keep the shape of the plant by trimming equally all the way around. Work up from the soil level, row by row, as needed. Remember, as formidable as they are, these plants are succulents and can take quite a bit of abuse and still heal.

bacterial infection can enter the plant through wounds. Ordinarily, the plant will take care of that itself by callusing over the cut when the agave is trimmed.

"Austin Texas 2021 Winter Storm - Deep Freeze Aftermath" brings back memories of freeze-shocked plants. An agave view comes in about the 30-second mark.

"How to Help Succulents Survive Rain, Hail, Frost" details prevention of frost damage ahead of time using cloths and screen material. An informative section about agaves about their cold-damage looks comes comes just before the 2-minute mark. The video might actually be helpful in case the ice age sneaks back shortly, or makes a return trip another season.