Greenhouse staff pushes past glass ceiling for Alice the Agave plant

KALAMAZOO, Mich.鈥擶hen 色色啦 Michigan University鈥檚 Finch Greenhouse specialist Chris Jackson noticed a plant growing a little too close to the greenhouse roof back in February, he had no choice but to do something unbe-leaf-able: Remove a pane of glass from the ceiling and try to protect it from the cold Michigan weather. 

Today, beyond the icy grip of winter, Alice the Agave americana plant commands attention as she readies herself for her grand finale. Standing proudly at an impressive height of 25 feet, Alice surprisingly took little to no maintenance鈥攖hat is, until she began to bloom. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 not rare for it to flower where it鈥檚 native,鈥 says Jackson. 鈥淏ut at this latitude, due to the temperature, it鈥檚 much more rare and difficult for it to bloom on its own. That鈥檚 why we鈥檝e had to take so many special measures.鈥 

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Jackson constructed a protective setup using six-inch acrylic tubing, supported by sturdy lumber, and sealed meticulously with heat tape. Only in mid April did he finally dismantle this shield, wrapping Alice in frost cloth in order to protect her from the perils of a potential spring freeze.

To ensure Alice's well-being, Jackson constructed a protective setup using six-inch acrylic tubing, supported by sturdy lumber, and sealed meticulously with heat tape. Only in mid April did he finally dismantle this shield, wrapping Alice in frost cloth in order to protect her from the perils of a potential spring freeze.

The lifespan of Agave americana plants is inherently limited, with their demise following their blooming phase. This means that Alice鈥檚 life is soon coming to an end. In fact, she鈥檚 already begun dying.

鈥淭his is their life cycle,鈥 says Jackson. 鈥淭hey die as they bloom. It gathers energy to grow the spike, and once it does that, it puts all of its energy into flowering. Then it runs out, and it dies.鈥 

Before beginning to bloom, all Jackson had to do for Alice was soak the area of her roots twice a year, as she required very little water. But now he regularly heads to the roof every few weeks to check in on her and measure her height. During her earlier extreme growth period, Jackson was on the roof every few days; and soon, he will eventually be returning to the roof two or three more times as the flowers open to apply pollen to Alice鈥檚 flowers. 

鈥淣ormally, it鈥檚 bats that pollinate these plants,鈥 says Jackson. 鈥淏ut the specific types of bats that pollinate these plants don鈥檛 exist in this region, so in order to accommodate it, I鈥檝e had to go up there and do it myself.鈥  

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As she blooms, Alice will develop light green bulbs, with white flowers extending from their peaks. The flowers only appear at the top of the plant, high in the air鈥攂ut that doesn鈥檛 make the view any less amazing. 

After Alice finishes blooming, her removal process will begin. The flower branches will be cut off and placed in water for seed development. Her stalk will be cut off at its base and saved for future use, while the rest of the plant will be dug up and used for compost. The end of Alice鈥檚 life is the beginning of another plant鈥檚 growth. 

Alice isn鈥檛 色色啦鈥檚 only Agave americana plant; there are three others settled right next to her.

鈥淲e have some exactly like Alice, and then other variants of the plant as well,鈥 says Jackson. 鈥淪o I don鈥檛 see us getting another one for a bit of time.鈥 

Jackson鈥檚 dedication to Alice and every other plant in the greenhouse is a testament to his passion for his profession. He was inspired during his time in his undergraduate degree, and has remained deeply interested in ornamental horticulture and integrated pest management ever since. He has been at 色色啦 since 1996, marking 27 years of devotion to plantlife. 

鈥淲ho wouldn鈥檛 love to work here?鈥 says Jackson. 鈥淭here鈥檚 always something to do.鈥 

Alice is more than a local attraction: People from all over the region have come to gaze at her astonishing height, impressed by her survival past the unpredictable weather conditions. With the limited lifecycle of Alice, Jackson recommends visitors come as soon as they can. The Finch Greenhouse is currently open to visitors 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, and is located in Wood Hall. 

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