Anyone Else Growing Puya

[xpeditions]

Definitely an investment in space but very few blooms can rival a puya -- these two going off in the garden right now.. . I

Edited July 20, 2020 by xpeditions

[Tracy]

Other than Puya mirabilis, the genus requires a great deal of patience for blooms.  In about 12 years of growing Puya alpestris, I had one bloom and that was a long time ago.  Puya mirabilis is dependable blooming every year, with some flowering right now, but it's the least spectacular.  I have never had my Puya venusta or corulea bloom in a decade of growing them.  I have one other unknown species which again hasn't bloomed that I bought about 10 years ago, and will have been in the ground 10 years this autumn.

Puya mirabilis flowers in the first 2 photos.  The third photo is my front yard with the unknown Puya in front of the Aloidendron 'Hercules'.  The Aloidendron and the Puya were both 1 gallons when I planted them in 2010.  The Aloidendron bloomed for the first time about 2 years ago, but the unknown Puya just keeps growing but no flowers yet.  My wife wants me to remove it because it is so vicious to brush against or weed near.  As you point out it wants to take up a lot of space, just colonizing more and more area.

[Tracy]

It was 7 years ago when I had the one and only bloom on Puya alpestris seen below.

[xpeditions]

I get reliable blooms each year, but it took 12 years and a lot of blood from the thorns for it to start hahaha.

P. Venustus is still on my to-grow list. 

[Tracy]

2 hours ago, xpeditions said:

I get reliable blooms each year, but it took 12 years and a lot of blood from the thorns for it to start hahaha.

So which species is this one?  I recall the year mine bloomed there was an article in one of the local weekly newspapers about a couple that had their P alpestris bloom for the first time in 14 years.  I've seen the aftermath of blooms in Quail Botanical now SD Botanical Garden, but I can't say that it was the same species every year blooming or different ones.  While the larger species are nasty and will draw blood P mirabilis has tiny barbs that break off under your skin that are difficult to see.  They work their way in, and cause pain with pressure on the site only to cause inflammation at the site after a few days.  Unfortunately the way the barb goes in, they are very difficult to remove.  I have 2 barbs in my right hand now, that have evaded efforts to remove with tweezers for a couple of weeks now.  As you point out, the blooms are spectacular.  I have one neighbor that stops and asks me if I think one of them will bloom again and what time of year.  They make an impression once you see them in person.

[Gonzer]

7 hours ago, Tracy said:

So which species is this one?  

Puya berteroniana

[Gonzer]

Pam decided about two years ago to do a mass planting of extra seed-grown 6" Puya laxa along our south bank behind the greenhouse. Regular irrigation has resulted in these $%!@'s exploding. Pictured right after I de-flowered () them.

[xpeditions]

Who needs guard dogs when you have a hillside of puya?

[Gonzer]

1 hour ago, xpeditions said:

Who needs guard dogs when you have a hillside of puya?

Skunk and rabbit proof too!

[Tracy]

6 hours ago, Gonzer said:

Pictured right after I de-flowered () them.

Were you deflowering so that they wouldn't go to seed?

Taking a step backwards, any thoughts on which species my "unknown" is?  I purchased it as just another Puya alpestris, but the growth habit is much larger than alpestris and it's a little more silvery in color than the light green with silver undersides of my P alpestris.  Leaflets are also much wider at the base than alpestris, but still long and very recurved.

[xpeditions]

Growth habit/ foliage looks exactly like Puya berteroniana to me

[Tracy]

11 hours ago, xpeditions said:

Growth habit/ foliage looks exactly like Puya berteroniana to me

Danke, merci, gracias and thank you.

[Hillizard]

The crown of my Puya venusta has now divided into threes this spring. Hope that means more flowers!