DES MOINES, Iowa — A plant will provide a spooky spectacle at the Des Moines Botanical Garden for Halloween.

The Agave ‘Blue Glow’ has begun its death bloom. According to the botanical garden, the Agave ‘Blue Glow’ is well-known for its glowing leaf edges and solitary rosette shape. It is a monocarpic plant, meaning it only blooms once in its lifetime, after roughly 7 to 15 years. The bloom, described as a tall flower stalk, takes all its energy from the mother plant and once completed the plant dies.

“This will be a spectacular bloom and a great opportunity for folks that don’t live where these plants typically grow to experience a once in a decade (or longer) event!” Aaron Harpold, director of horticulture at the botanical garden, said.

In 2024, the botanical garden had a death bloom from a plant in the same species, the Agave ‘Blue Frost.’

You can see the Agave ‘Blue Glow’ now Tuesday through Sunday. For a spookier time, the death bloom can also be seen when the botanical garden turns into the BOOtanical Garden for Halloween festivities like Eerie Evenings in October.

For more information visit the botanical garden’s website.