Agave Questions, Answered
Maryann with the Marin Independent Journal wants to know about all the agaves blooming all at once all over Marin. Interesting!
- I read that the American agaves really do die after blooming – but live on through their offspring. Is that so?
Yes, if they’ve had the offspring by then. Also, the giant bloom stalks are filled with hundreds of blooms which can be pollinated and develop seed and spread thousands of seed in every direction.
- Do you know how long the current blooms will last?
It can take 4-6 months for the full bloom cycle
- Could the large number of blooms be attributed to the heavy rains we witnessed this year?
It can be because they were popular to plant 25-30 years ago, or it can be caused by stress as well, which can be the aftermath of the drought, and even the heavy rains this winter.
- If they really make mezcal from the plant, can I do that at home? 😉
It would be difficult, to say the least. Once they’ve bloomed it’s too late, but if you want to make mezcal from an agave you need to cut all those giant spiny leaves off and harvest just the heart of the plant. That’s a lot of work!
