A remarkable flower in a National Trust Property in South Devon has bloomed recently - after going an amazing 25 years without doing much of anything.
The plant in question is called Furcraea, and is of Mexican origin. Gardeners first noticed that something was up with the Furcraea in May, and since then it has suddenly sprang into life, growing an enormous 11foot (3.3 metre!) spike with flowers and buds all over.
Head gardener Cat Saunders said: "It puts all its eggs into one basket but after growing about 3in (7.6cm) a day, it just runs out of juice.
"I feel really lucky to be working here at this time - it's not your everyday gardening experience."
Gardeners at the Overbeck Gardens where the plant is housed will now scurry to collect seeds to grow another Furcraea - of course, that could mean waiting another quarter of a century to see the plant bloom again.
A variety of Furcraea in Hawaii
