Coleton Fishacre: Rare 'century plant' agave flower begins blooming after years of waiting in UK garden

A plant that grows a single, metres-tall flower at the end of its life is beginning to bloom in a Devon garden.

In a Facebook post, National Trust English Riviera said the long-lived century plant at its Coleton Fishacre estate garden, a type of agave native to Mexico, is finally beginning to flower after a period of warm weather. The bloom has been “years and months in the growing”, and visitors are urged to come along to see the rare spectacle while they have the chance.

“This Agave americana at Coleton Fishacre began forming an impressive flower spike last autumn. These flower spikes have been known to grow five metres tall and will flower only once with large yellow blooms, before both flowers and stalk die,” the post said.

The recent warm weather has finally prompted the stalk to begin flowering after its winter hibernation. “So now's the perfect time for a visit as it bursts into full bloom,” the Trust added.

Agave americana is commonly known as the century plant, due to the face it only flowers once in what is usually a very long life. They are known to live between 10 and 30 years, and their popularity as an ornamental plant has lead to them becoming naturalised across South America, warmer parts of the US, South and Southeast Asia, Australia, and parts of Africa.

Their enormous, sharp leaves can spread out to cover an area of up to three metres, and on occasion, their end-of-life flower stalks can be upwards of eight metres high. Once its striking yellow flowers appear, they should stick around for a matter of weeks.

How to visit the Coleton Fishacre garden

Originally a 1920s country retreat, the Colton Fishacre estate in Devon is known for its tropical garden - right by the sea. Its house and gardens, managed by the National Trust, are open daily from 10.30am to 5pm throughout May and June.

Entry to the grounds is free for National Trust members, but if you’re not a member, there is a charge to get in - which you can pay on arrival. Standard prices are £15 for an adult, £7.50 for a child, or £37.50 for a family - although there are a number of concession prices available. There are also parking fees for non-members of £1.10 per hour.

The garden can be found on Brownstone Road about three miles out of Kingswear - turning left off the A3022 at the tollhouse. You can find out more information about getting there using public transport on the National Trust webpage here.