Rare bloom alert: Century plant set to flower in Nags Head

Published 5:17 pm Wednesday, June 4, 2025

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Paul and Dianne Kotasenski stand next to their rapidly-growing century plant on June 3. The plant is expected to bloom soon. Courtesy Dianne Kotasenski

The century plant started sending up its stalk in late April. Courtesy Dianne Kotasenski

By early May, the stalk from the Kotasenskis’ century plant was about 12 feet tall. Courtesy Dianne Kotasenski

The century plant in the Kotasenskis’ Nags Head yard as seen in mid-May. Courtesy Dianne Kotasenski

By late May, progression in the century plant’s stalk can be easily seen. Courtesy Dianne Kotasenski

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At 8916 S. Old Oregon Inlet Road in Nags Head, something extraordinary is happening: a towering century plant is preparing to bloom, and it’s quickly becoming the talk of the neighborhood. Homeowners Dianne and Paul Kotasenski, who will mark nine years at their home this June, have watched in awe as a massive stalk emerged from the center of the plant several weeks ago. Since then, it has grown at an astonishing pace, now standing close to about 35 feet tall. This week, it began forming around 10 large buds, a sure sign that full bloom is imminent.

The century plant, known scientifically as Agave americana, is a striking succulent native to Mexico and the southwestern United States. Despite the name it’s commonly known by, the plant doesn’t take a full century to bloom. Typically, it flowers once between 10 and 30 years of age, making any bloom a rare and exciting event. Once mature, the plant sends up a tall flowering stalk that can resemble a giant asparagus spear. As it grows, the stalk begins to branch and produce clusters of flowers, often yellow or greenish-yellow, that attract bees, birds and other pollinators.

“It’s amazing to watch it happen right in my own yard,” Dianne Kotasenski said.

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For most of its life, the century plant remains in a rosette form, its broad, spiny leaves spreading outward in a dramatic display. The leaves are a blue-green hue, edged with sharp spines and a terminal tip that can be as sharp as a needle. The plant stores energy in these leaves for decades, biding its time until the spectacular bloom. Once the flowering cycle is complete, the main plant dies, a natural conclusion to its life cycle. However, it often produces smaller offshoots known as “pups” around its base, which can be transplanted or left to grow on their own.

Century plants are surprisingly well-suited to the Outer Banks’ coastal conditions. They thrive in full sun and require minimal water, making them ideal for sandy, well-draining soils like those found throughout the barrier islands. Their tolerance for drought, salt spray and heat allows them to flourish with little maintenance, and once established, they can live for decades with virtually no care.

“It’s been there since before I moved in,” said Kotasenski. “And it’s just done its thing all these years without much attention. Then suddenly—this!”

The spectacle has drawn attention from neighbors and passersby, many of whom stop to take photos or simply marvel at the plant’s size and beauty. With its towering stalk and promise of dramatic blooms, the century plant has become an unexpected neighborhood landmark.

Experts suggest the flowering will continue for several weeks, with the buds opening gradually. Once the bloom is complete, the towering stalk will wither, and the mother plant will begin to die back. But the cycle often doesn’t end there—numerous pups forming around the base can carry on the plant’s legacy, potentially blooming again decades from now.

In a landscape already rich with natural beauty, the rare bloom of a century plant adds a touch of the extraordinary to an already special place. If you’re driving through the area in the coming weeks, be sure to take a moment to admire one of nature’s rarest performances—before it disappears for another generation.

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