Amazing bloom on Skyline

[pato]

This giant stalk grew out of what I believe is some type of agave plant in the neighborhood of about 1500 ft. It's grown like this just the last few weeks. It's at least 10 feet tall. I'm no botanist, but I believe after this happens, the plant dies. This place is full of surprises. Can anyone out there educate us on these?

[RichardK]

You saw an agave in bloom. We watched one in Chino Hills SP a few years ago. The huge stalk springs up really fast. After the bloom, the main plant dies, but offshoots grow from the base. The resemblance to an asparagus is not a coincidence. They are in the same family.

[pato]

Thanks, Richard! I thought the stalk looked kinda familiar.

[guest]

Hi Pato,
That actually looks more like a yucca, in this case, a Whipple Yucca, which is one of the few who dies after blooming. Agave's have Much larger, gray-blue leaves, and do send up stalks as well. Native American's would dig the root balls up just before this stalk (& resulting bloom), when the plant was full of sugars & roast them & make a gruel or mass, which I believe was fermented, (the original tequila!).
Whipple yucca's have little dark tips & hurt like hell, (plenty on Skyline next to trail), although the rest of yucca's, (except the big Nolina's, which there's also tons of on Skyline, they grow in clumps, sometimes multiple heads).
As many here know, these plants were very valuable to Natives, mainly for string & cordage, but also for soap & food. As mentioned, they can reproduce through rhizomes, (underground off-shoots from host), or seed dispersal. The Mojave (high) desert seems to have a bigger variety, although parts of the Santa Rosa's are full of these, and Agave's, (including upper Palm Cyn).
Happy flower & bloom hunting, ss

PS, bet the tram's busy for 1st day of re-open, wonder if anyone, (like Ms D) are heading up from PS.

[pato]

Thanks for the additional info! Fascinating.

[zippetydude]

Wow Scott! That, off the top of your head? Impressive! What do you think about helping me with geology? (I really don't understand how in the world slot canyons can come to exist.) How about native American history? (I only recently learned about megafauna extinctions and the Silurian hypothesis...)

Hi Pat. (BTW, "pato" in Spanish means "duck". You can look it up on the interwebbed. .) I enjoy your enthusiasm as a new Californian...from century plants to foxtails, you're on top of it. One might even say quackerjack. And you're already gearing up for a go at Skyline. Who knew!? Any idea of fowl long it will take you? (Sorry, my mother raised me better than that...I'm just a bad egg.)

z

[Ellen]

Howdy Z-dude

Methinks you're channeling Hikin" Jim

Hi Pat. (BTW, "pato" in Spanish means "duck". You can look it up on the interwebbed. .) I enjoy your enthusiasm as a new Californian...from century plants to foxtails, you're on top of it. One might even say quackerjack. And you're already gearing up for a go at Skyline. Who knew!? Any idea of fowl long it will take you? (Sorry, my mother raised me better than that...I'm just a bad egg.)

z

Miles of smiles,
Elllen

[Ed]

When I first saw 'pato' on the board, I did think 'duck', who would choose that as a nickname? Great minds run in the same trough, I guess.

[pato]

Hahaha! Well, between Zip's puns and Ed's curiosity about my screen name and all, I guess I have some explaining! First name Pat, last name initial O. Plus my son works in Mexico City, and he and his girlfriend there pointed out that my screen name was Spanish for duck, so it stuck.

Plus, if any of my new friends want some of my favorite sauce, I'm happy to send you some. I'll just, um, bill you.

[zippetydude]

Plus, if any of my new friends want some of my favorite sauce, I'm happy to send you some. I'll just, um, bill you.

Serves me right. I guess what's good for the goose...

z