Oak Park Conservatory On Agave Watch
By Chuck Sudo in News on Jun 14, 2013 2:00PM
Visitors to the Oak Park Conservatory have noticed an unusual feature in recent weeks: An agave plant shooting through the 84-year-old greenhouse's roof.
The agave plant's spike, which looks like a giant asparagus spear, flowers every spring and the Oak Park Conservatory's Century plant began to bloom at the end of May, sending out side shoots that will eventually contain thousands of flowers when they reach full bloom.
When that will happen is a guessing game.
Agave, of course, is the plant which is used to make tequila and mescal. The flowers are also edible and can be boiled or roasted and the nectar from the flowers is a popular sweetener. The stalks can also be roasted and have a flavor similar to molasses.
The Oak Park Conservatory is located at 615 Garfield Street in Oak Park. Their hours of operation are 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday - Sunday.