Rare agave plant blooms at station in Fukuoka Pref., delighting passengers
According to the Kitakyushu municipal general agricultural center, the agave is a succulent of the Asparagaceae family native to tropical regions such as Central and South America. It produces yellow flowers at the tip of a tall flower stalk. The plant's spiny leaves resemble a dragon's tongue, which is apparently the origin of its Japanese name, "ryuzetsuran."
About five agaves, reportedly planted during the Japanese National Railways era from 1949 to 1987, grow in the platform's flowerbed. The last bloom occurred in the summer of 2022. This year, the flower stalk began growing around June, surpassing 4 meters in height. Earlier in August, the flowers bloomed from the bottom up, shining golden in the midsummer sun.
Yoshiaki Kawakami, 80, of the Buzen Chikujo branch of the Kyushu Railway Co.'s alumni association, which manages the station on the JR Nippo Line, said, "It should be at its best until the end of this month. I hope many people will come to see it," as he watched over the rare sight.
(Japanese original by Yoshihisa Deki, Buzen Resident Bureau)
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