Massive plant that waited 80 years to flower is taken down

A University of Michigan horticulture expert has sawed down a towering plant that lived an unexpectedly long 80 years before completing its one-time-only flowering process.

Matthaei Botanical Gardens horticulture manager Mike Palmer used a hand saw to bring down the American agave Wednesday morning.

• 80-year-old agave plant to finally bloom, promptly die
• WATCH | Uncovering the Secret World of Plant Behaviour

Palmer said although he was sad to see the more than six-metre stalk come down, "it was time."

The agave has been in a decline since flowering last year, a development Palmer said is normal for the species.

He said the agave produced "tons" of seeds. And a university music professor plans to use a portion of the stalk to produce a flute.

The agave that has called Ann Arbor, Mich. home since 1934 started growing rapidly taller last spring, an indicator it was preparing to bloom.