by guest » Mon Apr 01, 2019 11:30 am
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.