Throughout his life, Dad was a devoted scholar of all things Arizona, including its flora and fauna. He knew enough to seek out and recognize the unusual like the famed Century Plant, which lives up to thirty years or so, flowers, and then dies.

A native of the Southwest and Mexico, agave plants are sometimes called "century plants." This unique agave is a short-stemmed perennial with a tall, thin stalk that grows from 10 to 14 feet high and boasts gray-green, spiny leaves that extend 10 to 18 inches in length. Agave plants enjoyed a variety of uses among the Native Peoples, including food, medicine, weaponry, and soap.
- Michael Goldwater