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Cacti & Succulents

Will my agave plant survive?

13 years ago

It had an accident and the middle spike broke off. When I look at the stump, I can see the spiraled up structure of the leaf, but no new spike. Will a new middle spike grow out and it will survive?

It was not a flower stalk, it was the rolled up middle leaf.

Thank you,

~Kai

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Comments (6)

paracelsus
13 years ago
There are actually several leaf primordial in the spike, one over another like those nested Russian dolls. It is extremely unlikely that you managed to break off all of the apical meristem in the plant. The effect of that would be the same as coring: branching would stimulated. Your plant should recover in time with no evidence of the damage. However did you manage to injure the plant?

Brad
cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
13 years ago
Kai,

That anthropomorphizing gets me every time, too. As Brad said, this often will result in a doubling/tripling/moring of the plant's growing points.
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norma_2006
13 years ago
This may cause it to offset from the center, which would be terrific. Norma
lzrddr
13 years ago
I have often yanked on an agave using the central group of leaves as an anchor and been repeatedly dismayed to find it snap off in my hand, yet not once has that resulted in the deat of an agave... most just start up right where they left off.. a few will dichotomize (or more) but most of mine have just grown a few stunted leaves at first and then got right back into the swing of things.
Bathroot
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you very much for your replies! I will be waiting, treating it as usual and see what will happen. But I am very relieved to hear this is not going to end its life.

Brad: Someone backed a plank into it. Up to now there had been more incidents of the plant injuring people rather than the opposite.

~Kai
HU-44299867
3 years ago
I have a pin cushion agave and I tried to move its Location. When trying to take it out it snapped and there are no roots attached. Will it still grow?

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