My observations of this thread-leaf agave with emerging stalk was
October and November 2020. The October video's images are from October 7
through 29, ending with progressively denser bud clusters. For more
info about this time period (emerging stalk, buds, similarity to Queen
Victoria agave), read "Thread-leaf Agave in Fall 2020--Emerging Stalk and Buds".
My video's images are from November 3 through 20, which include
blooms and bees, and also noting the increasing leftward lean of the
stalk. (The final segment compares the lean over time.) I recently
strolled to the area and saw bare ground, as though the plant was never
there.
Filifera vs. Schidigera Agaves, Close Relatives
In researching my subject plant, I looked at several websites for
differences between filifera and schidigera. Best help came from some
sites that included descriptions and pix of both agaves.
"Agave Filifera Care: Growing Thread-Edge Agave Plants",
mentions both filifera and schidigera being from the Asparagaceae
family. Differentiation statement: "You can tell these two Agave plants
apart as Agave filifera has less conspicuous and finer hairs on its
leaves."
flower coloration: "stalk, buds, stamens and pistils are all dark
purple or wine-colored, the face of the flower is a pale yellow, though
it too may be flushed with purple"
rosette-leaves: "sharp-tipped leaves are 6 to 12 inches"
Early October 2020, I spotted an agave with an emerging stalk (about
7' high). Also, the ballish shape of the leaves ("rosette") caught my
eye. I've seen numerous agaves sprout stalks in spring. By the time I
identified the plant as a thread-leaf agave, I found info about the
stalk emergence and timing:
At maturity, in late summer, it produces a flower stalk that
reaches eight feet or more with attractive purple blossoms that occur
on the upper part of the stalk.
When mature, Filifera will bloom by sending up a 6’ to 8’
foot long flower spike from the center of a rosette. There is no set
time of year for this event to occur.
I visited the plant several times during October and November, taking
pix and recording videos. In readying for images and video clips, I
decided to create two videos. This video (with October images) features
the start of the emerging stalk and progressively denser bud clusters.
(I even captured a gathering of deer.)
First Impression (Incorrect), Queen Victoria Agave
Initially, i thought the agave was a Queen Victoria agave. The base was ball-shaped, with short, arced leaves such the pic at "Queen Victoria Agave".
In 2012, I had spotted a newly planted one with a small plastic ID
stake. So cute that I took couple of pix and made a composite.
I noticed when poring through online images that the somewhat spherical
base ("rosette") had thread-like fibers, and that the leaves were pointy
like yucca leaves. It turns out that my subject plant is a thread-leaf
agave, aka filifera.
Websites that Show Both Queen Victoria and Thread-leaf Agaves
The other video
(with November images) features blooms, bees, and post-bees, with
noticing the increasing leftward lean of the stalk. (The closing section
shows comparisons of the lean over time.) I recently strolled to the
site and saw bare ground, as though the plant was never there.
The time period between February 11 and February 23 was exciting for
the snow, ice, and cold, especially for power outages and boil-water
status. Eventual return to pandemic normalcy was welcome. "What Really Happened During the Texas Power Grid Outage?"
(Mar 23, 2021, runtime 16:47) is an informative video that described
the deep freeze. It has loads of info about power grid, events, images,
and animated graphs. The YouTube description also includes good content
and links. A nice touch at end of video requests that commenters be
respectful.
Environments outside were pictureworthy. I needed to take a few pix
through windows, unwilling to venture into such bone-chilling cold and
also risk ruining my camera. I created several composites and
organized into groups that show ice, snow, and aftermath. Images are
loosely organized as follows, but also include related items:
Snow, ice, damages to tree branches and other plants
Neighborhood walk February 12 (day after a big snow dump)
Neighborhood walk March 11 post-thaw
Additional related miscellany
I poked around the web for determining post-freeze damages for some
plants. Also stumbled on some plant info I hadn't known before, and some
that reinforced info from previous research.
Deep-freeze Damages
Two sources are from February 25, but seem to have content that describes the aftermath of the freeze.
The ones nearest and dearest to my heart for this article are sago,
tree cholla, and cinnamon cactus. Pic'd in the video, but unmentioned in
this section, are thread-leaf agave, photinia, and prickly pear.
"How to Prune a Sago Palm" didn't provide much in the way of images, but caught my eye with bulleted advice:
Sago palms are toxic, so wear gloves and be careful when touching
the plants. Also don’t let your animals near them or to eat them.
Prune from the bottom up, clearing the fronds at the trunk by 6″ to
2ft. These are the oldest and lowest leaves and it helps increase air
flow.
Only remove completely dead and damaged fronds. Cutting healthy
fronds can weaken the plant, but you can expose the trunk of the palm
for ornamental purposes by removing extra fronds.
Don’t trim sago palm fronds that are between 10 and 2 o’clock positions.
I asked for help in IDing an unusual deserty plant. "cholla" bubbled
to my consciousness. I stumbled upon "jumping cholla", which didn't
resemble the plant much. Shortly afterward, I received suggestions of
"tree cholla" (Cylindropuntia imbricata), at Wikipedia and World of Succulents.
Such a cute plant cluster, resembling miniature prickly pear
"paddles"! I did Google image search with that description in mind. When
I stumbled on a candidate plant, I spotted an image of a cinnamon
cactus. The page at "World of Succulents"
even parenthetically refers to it as "Cinnamon Bunny Ears". One image
in my video contrasts the iced-over plant with the post-freeze thaw. As
the homeowner scraped most other deserty plants, time will tell if it
survives.
Related: "2023 Ice 'N' Arborgeddon" article | video
My profession had been technical writer/editor. Through TheWriteJob clublet (blog at http://thewritejob.blogspot.com), I have been exploring my inner creative writing, which includes mostly language enlightenment, entertainment, and a-muse-meant. Over time, I have become more active with images and my YouTube channel.
