Century plant

This spiky succulent is found growing wild from Arizona, USA to Mexico, where it thrives on open, rocky slopes in grassland and woodland. In the UK, it is best grown in a pot and kept in a light, frost-free environment during winter. In the warmer months, it can be grown outside and makes a striking addition to patio displays. It makes a compact, multi-leaved rosette of grey-green leaves which have spikes along their edges and at their tips. Plants flower once in their lives, dying after the blooms set seed. The flowers themselves are an extraordinary sight, standing 4 to 6 metres above the plant. The buds are pink or red, opening to varying shades of yellow.