LUTHERSVILLE, Ga. — What started as a curiosity in Georgia is turning into a landmark in Luthersville as one woman patiently waits to finally unveil a rare bloom that she's been waiting over 30 years to see.
Jacki Flournoy's garden is a lesson in history, with one plant, a century plant, being able to tell decades of stories. When Ronald Reagan was president, Nintendo was king of the console world, and eggs cost 97 cents; Flournoy was planting a seed for the distant future.
"I don't have a secret," she said. "I just put it out and let it grow."
The century plant is native to Mexico but can grow in the south, and even most of Hawaii, given the hot and tropical climates. It takes between 8 to 30 years to grow, according to a report from the University of Florida's Gardening Solutions page.
For Flournoy, it's been 36 years since the seed was planted.
"I guess it's like waiting for Christmas," she said, laughing, "You just have to sit back and wait to see what you're going to get."
This plant, with its common name Agave Americana, is a showstopper, with stalks that grow up to 20 feet tall. And when it finally blooms, gardeners can enjoy flowers multiple times that year.
"When it just popped up, I was like, 'What in the world is this,'" she said.
Now that the stalk is up, Flournoy is on standby, but she's not alone; the community in Luthersville is now watching and waiting for the bold yellow flower as well.
"People say, well, it's a landmark," she said.
And the flower is noticeable, standing 25 feet over Luthersville.
"It's at a slow point right now because I am just waiting, waiting," she said.
But Flournoy has learned her lesson; she knows the wonder is in the waiting and that everyone and everything blooms at its own pace.
"I just think it's different. But I am proud of it," she said.
After the plant blooms, it dies, but more century plants will take its place. It could be three days or three weeks before the flowers appear, but 11Alive will share pictures when it does.
