Century Plant

The century plant is a succulent native to the Sonoran Desert that exemplifies semelparous (monocarpic) reproduction. Despite its name, it typically lives 10-30 years, not 100. The plant spends decades building deep roots (reaching 20 feet down) and storing carbohydrates in thick, blade-like leaves armed with terminal spines.

When the century plant finally flowers, a stalk erupts from the center - growing six inches per day to reach 40 feet in eight weeks. The cellular expansion is audible as a barely audible crackling. Thousands of yellow flowers attract Mexican long-tongued bats and hummingbirds for pollination. After seeds scatter, the entire plant dies. This programmed transition represents thirty years of patient accumulation deployed in eight weeks.