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Rare plant starts to bloom after more than 30 years

Jackie Flournoy has been waiting 36 years to see the extraordinary blossom.

LUTHERSVILLE, Ga. — Editor's note: The video in this story is from a previous report. 

A rare plant, called a century plant, is starting to bloom in Luthersville, Georgia. 

11Alive first shared Jackie Flournoy's story last month. She has been waiting more than 30 years to see the extraordinary blossom.

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. On the Fourth of July, she shared the photo below of the plant finally beginning to bud.

Talk about a firework 🧨 Jackie Flournoy’s Century Plant that she put in the ground in 1987 is finally starting to bloom!...

Posted by Kaitlyn Ross 11Alive on Tuesday, July 4, 2023

RELATED: 'It's like waiting for Christmas' | Woman's patience pays off as rare plant gets ready to bloom after 36 years

Flournoy previously told 11Alive that she didn't have a secret, she just planted the seed and let it grow.

"I guess it's like waiting for Christmas," she said previously. "You just have to sit back and wait to see what you're going to get."

The century plant, with its common name Agave Americana, is a showstopper with stalks that grow up to 20 feet tall. When it finally blooms, gardeners can enjoy flowers multiple times that year.

Along with Flournoy, the Luthersville community has also been watching and waiting on the rare bloom-- which will produce a bold yellow flower. People have even been calling the plant "a landmark."

After the plant blooms, it dies, but more century plants will take its place.  

"I just think it's different. But I am proud of it," Flournoy said.

   

   

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