Mangave bulbils aplenty, maybe hundreds
My Mangave ‘Foxy Lady’ is in the process of making bulbils — dozens, maybe hundreds. I was going to include a few photos in my last This and that post , but I decided to write a separate piece so I can dive a bit deeper into the mystery and marvel that are bulbils. Bulbils forming on the flower stalk of my Mangave ‘Foxy Lady’ Bulbils are baby plants, genetically identical to the parent, that form directly on the flower stalk (aka inflorescence). Often they develop the beginnings of roots (called root primordia) while still attached. In nature, when the bulbil-laden flower stalk eventually falls over or the bulbils are dislodged by wind or wildlife, they quickly take root and begin growing as independent plants. Bulbils are rare in the wider plant kingdom, but fairly common in some plant families like amaryllis and lily. Some agave species (as well as most furcraeas and certain yuccas) produce bulbils as a brilliant evolutionary insurance policy. The reason is simple: Most agaves a...