The Sapphire Tower plant blooms at the San Diego Botanic Garden in 2019.
Among these, and particularly among the slow-moving wonders of nature, is the Sapphire Tower plant.
The Sapphire Tower plant is scientifically known asPuya alpestris, a species among the bromeliad family of plant.
The Sapphire Tower plant blooms at the San Diego Botanic Garden in 2019. (Photo: Zareksiegel viaWikimedia Commons,CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED)
It generally takes up to a decade for these plants to flower in nature.
The flowers typically attract hummingbirds in the wild who serve as pollinators for the plant.
However, the specimen in the Arid Glasshouse of the Gardens required an alternate solution for pollination.
The Gardens set about pollinating the flowers by human hand using a small paintbrush.
This uniquely man-enabled process is in effect because the plant will soon die after its flowering period is complete.
In the absence of its natural pollinators, we will attempt some hand pollination instead.
The next blossoming likely wont occur until 2034.
Like a solar eclipse, its a special and elusive sight to behold.
