LUTHERSVILLE, Ga. — It's one of the more cherished stories 11Alive has reported on recently, racking up millions of views on YouTube - and now it's coming to its natural end.
The century plant sitting in Jacki Flournoy's Luthersville front yard finally bloomed after 36 years, shooting 25 feet into the air and sprouting beautiful, large yellow flowers.
She described the long wait finally coming to fruition as "like waiting for Christmas" before it bloomed. It began blooming a little more than a week ago and now the agave plant is coming to the end of its life cycle.
The century plant is native to Mexico but can grow in the South given our hot and tropical climate. It takes between 8 to 30 years to grow.
And once it blooms, that's it - the plant dies.
Jacki Flournoy's century plant is beginning to reach that point. She reported to 11Alive on Wednesday that the flowers at the bottom are beginning to brown and the stalk is leaning over.
The good news? Century plants leave behind what are known as "pups" at the bottom of its base that - after many years of waiting - will also grow and eventually bloom.
Meaning the long-awaited fruit of Jacki Flournoy's gardening labor will live on, in a way.
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