Sapphire Tower Plant Blooms Once in 20 years.
In the natural world, there are events that demand patience. Take the upcoming American cicadapocalypse, for instance, which might not grab headlines. On the flip side, over in Birmingham, UK, botanists are buzzing with excitement over the blooming of their sapphire tower.
Puya Alpestri,
This sapphire tower plant, scientifically known as Puya alpestri, hails from the Chilean Andes and can take a whopping 10 years to unfurl its flowers. It belongs to the bromeliad family, a distant cousin of the pineapple. Normally cozying up at altitudes of up to 2,200 meters (that’s about 7,218 feet) in the mountains, this plant banks on hummingbirds to spread its pollen around.
However, at the Puya alpestri, in Birmingham Botanical Gardens, botanists are taking matters into their own hands with paint brushes to mimic the fluttering of those feathered pollinators. The flowers themselves are a mesmerizing metallic turquoise hue, with vibrant orange anthers peeking out amidst the dark green leaves and sharp spines.
“The lifespan of each flower is just a few days, giving us a fleeting moment to lend nature a hand. Since the usual pollinators are absent, we’re stepping in with some manual pollination,” explained Senior Glasshouse Horticulturist Alberto Trinco.
A Collection of Two Decades.
This rare beauty has been part of the collection for two decades. Experts estimate that its flowering period lasts anywhere from 10 days to a fortnight, offering a brief window to witness this splendid rarity. “It’s a slow bloomer, making the sight of its magnificent blooms all the more thrilling and uncommon,” Trinco remarked.
Sadly, this plant follows a one-time-only rule, known as monocarpic, meaning it bows out after flowering. Yet, the team has a strategy in place. “By carefully pollinating the flowers with brushes to gather seeds, we aim to preserve this remarkable species in our collection for generations to come,” Trinco shared optimistically, ensuring future admirers can revel in its splendor.
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