The Century Plant

​For the first time in 22 years a plant, misleadingly named the Century Plant or Agave americana, came to bloom this summer at Longwood Gardens. The plant originally got its name because scientists believed that it only flowered every 100 years. Longwood's Century Plant is growing in their "Silver Garden" greenhouse along with many other succulents. Botanists tell us that the plant will continue to bloom until October. The blossoms are green and yellow clusters that look similar to broccoli flowers. The staff at Longwood first noticed the flowering stalk in February. Every day during that month the stalk grew five to six inches a day. Eventually, the crew of workers had to remove a pane of glass from the greenhouse roof so that the plant could continue to grow.
 
Since the Agave plant only lives to bloom once in its entire life, it is called "monocarpic." It will die after it blooms because it dedicates all its energy to producing its blossoms. However, when it is finished blooming the gardeners at Longwood will save the flower heads and dry them to be used in the Christmas display. A new Century Plant will be planted in place of the current one, and plant lovers will begin waiting for another blooming season. The new plant will probably be an offshoot from the "mother plant" which is called a "pup." The small offshoots are tiny clones of its mother. Gardeners dig out the pup with its roots and plant it in another location so it can continue to grow.
 
The life of the Century Plant reminds me of the life of Jesus. After He quietly grew from a child into a man, He bloomed during the last three years of His life. He was sent to earth from HIs heavenly throne to display the beauty of heaven and to "plant pups" close to Himself that would be able to root and be established in new locations to demonstrate His love. This is what is says in Paul's Ephesians prayer:  "...And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:17-19)
 
After His death, Jesus left His Holy Spirit to empower us with life without Him. The residue of His bloom is to be used to display the beauty of Christ in the world around us. Jesus told His disciples this before ascending to heaven. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
 
Can you see yourself as a "pup" of the Lord? That is what we are! Each of us has been planted in a different location to demonstrate the love of Christ and bloom where we are planted.