Century plant

In the garden we have a bunch of century plants, Agave americana. They originated in Mexico, but apparently are worldwide. They are planted on the outside of the garden to ward off intruders. On their leaves they have spikey things, which are very sharp. According to Wikipedia, they are so sharp they can pierce to the bone. I haven't gotten pierced that hard, but as I work in the garden, I have been pierced through my jeans without much effort.

Last week when Bill and I were in the garden, we both noticed that one of these century plants had a tall shoot coming from the middle of it. I had never seen that before, but Bill had. Apparently, these plants only occasionally flower, and when they do, it is quite impressive. The large yellow flower can grow as tall as 25ft high. We aren't at 25ft yet, but we are at 12ft or so. I will keep you posted.