NORTH PORT, Fla. — You won't have to travel to Mexico or Texas to see a century plant.
North Port resident Joanne Lucibello has one on her property near N Cranberry Blvd.
So, North Port Community Correspondent Victoria Scott knew she had to report on the fairy tale-looking plant before it dies.
"We noticed it March 29," Lucibello told Scott.
The unusual plant started to have huge growth spurts.
"I think it is 20 to 30, no, at least 30 feet by now," Lucibello said.
She and her husband bought their North Port home in 2014 and the large green spiky plant was already a front yard feature. They took it as just another tropical treat in their Florida life until late March of this year.
"All of a sudden, there was a big growth on it, and then I started keeping track of it," Joanne said.
Joanne took photos of her century plant every two days or so. She also started to learn a little more about it.
"They call it a century plant because it only blooms every 20 to 30 years, and then it dies," she said.
The century plant is also referred to as an Agave americana.
According to the University of Florida Ag-Extension, this plant can reach a height of around 30 feet tall. It's native to the U.S., usually Texas, and Mexico.
Lucibello told Scott her front yard friend is gaining traction on social media and throughout the neighborhood.
"Some people have stopped," she said. "My husband walks the dogs. They stopped my husband and said, 'That's some century plant you have there."
Don't tell the agave; but it's not Joanne's favorite plant.
"I would rather take care of a smaller plant," she said. "It burns and it turns your skin red. So, you don't want to have the liquid."
However, she's excited to see what the plant can do, even if it means the end for this particular agave.
"We're just waiting for it to blossom and see this beautiful flower that people have been telling us about," Joanne said.
