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Century Plant (Agave utahensis discreta)

Perennial
View Images of Century Plant (Agave utahensis discreta)
Common Name Latin Name Plant Family
Century Plant
Agave utahensis discreta
Agavaceae

The leaves contain saponins and an extract of them can be used as a soap[2]. It is best obtained by chopping up the leaves and then simmering them in water – do not boil for too long or this will start to break down the saponins[K].

A very strong fibre obtained from the leaves is used for making rope, coarse fabrics etc[2, 61, 92]. To make hair brushes and brushes for cleaning, the dried matter of a dead and rotten leaf was knocked free from the fibres, which were then bent in two. the upper end of this brush was wrapped with a cord and the bent portion was covered with a cloth. The loose fibres were cut to the right length and hardened by burning the ends[257]. A paper can also be made from the fibre in the leaves[2].

The thorns on the leaves are used as pins and needles[2].

The dried flowering stems are used as a waterproof thatch[2] and as a razor strop[89].

  • Medicinal Use

    The sap is antiseptic, diuretic and laxative[21].

  • Edible Use

    The heart of the plant is very rich in saccharine matter and can be eaten when baked[2, 46, 61, 105, 177]. Sweet and delicious, but rather fibrous[213]. It is partly below ground. Can be dried for future use or soaked in water to produce a flavourful beverage[183].

    Seed – ground into a flour[85, 161].

    Flower stalk – roasted[183].

    Root – cooked[183].

    Sap from the cut flowering stems is used as a syrup[177]. The sap can also be tapped by boring a hole into the middle of the plant at the base of the flowering stem[213]. It can be fermented into ‘Mescal’, a very potent alcoholic drink[213].

  • Cautionary Notes

    The plants have a very sharp and tough spine at the tip of each leaf. They need to be carefully sited in the garden.

Cultivation & Habitat

Seed – surface sow in a light position, April in a warm greenhouse. The seed usually germinates in 1 – 3 months at 20¡c[133]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots of well-drained soil when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a sunny position in the greenhouse until they are at least 20cm tall. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts, and give some protection from the cold for at least their first few winters[K]. Offsets can be potted up at any time they are available. Keep in a warm greenhouse until they are well established[200].
Requires a very well-drained soil and a sunny position[1, 200]. Plants are only hardy on the south coast of England, where they succeed from Torbay westwards[1]. A monocarpic species, the plant lives for a number of years without flowering but dies once it does flower. However, it normally produces plenty of suckers during its life and these take about 10 – 15 years in a warm climate, considerably longer in colder ones, before flowering[11]. This plant is widely used by the native people in its wild habitat, it has a wide range of uses. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].
South-western N. America – found in the Grand Canyon.

Become ungovernable, break the chains of the matrix; grow and forage your own food and medicine.

*None of the information on this website qualifies as professional medical advice. Take only what resonates with your heart and use your own personal responsibility for what’s best for you. For more information [brackets] [000], see bibliography.

As with ALL things; Take only what resonates with your heart and higher self, and leave the rest behind.

Repository of Divination tools, News, Elements, Spells, Rituals, Clearings, Entities, Ascension; Kitty is a magpie at heart, gathering information trinkets from everywhere and sharing them here in hopes that some might shine a light on your journey in this Incarnation. Please only take what resonates with your heart and leave the rest behind. Tionscadal Mo Chroi (Project of my heart) Lovingly curated by Kitty, bean draío leabharlannaí (Librarian Witch)

  • For any question, you can cast a handful or bag of Runes and read the meaning of the runes that land face up only.
  • You may cast them into a circle (drawn with chalk or as a pattern on a cloth). Read the runes that land inside the circle AND face up.
  • If The Eye (Witches Rune) or Tiwaz (Elder Futhark) appears amongst the runes when cast, pay extra attention to where the eye is looking or Tiwaz is pointing.
  • Pro Tip: You can also use runes just as you would the Tarot, with ANY tarot spread. Simply pull one at a time from your bag to fill the layout.

*while Witches’ and Elder Futhark are different sets of runes, (just as English and Gaelic are different languages) I use mine together;  my rune casts are “bilingual”. I have made the same choice in my online rune layouts. Alainn Tarot interactive includes both sets at the same time. 

These are plants that grow in my own yard or elements that I keep in stock personally, gathered in a single category for my own quick navigation.