Al Braden Photographer

The Agave or Century Plant is the quintessential desert survivor. It's spiny leaves radiate in a wide circle to capture any available rain and channel it to the root. Their waxy covering and sharp edges preserve moisture and protect the plant. The Agave grows twenty or more years storing energy to grow one heroic flower stalk. It blooms for several weeks, attracting a wide variety of pollinators, and then dies. Its large root is used to produce Tequila in Mexico. Here are 15 photos showing the drama of the Agave in bloom.

Lechugilla is a marker species of the Chihuahuan Desert that, like the Agave, stores energy to produce a dramatic flower stalk as its final act. The curved sharp spines are particularly hazardous for horses and hikers alike. These photos detail the amazing intricate blooms of the Lechugilla.

The beautiful Sotol also goes by the name of Desert Candle for its tall blooms. Sotols can bloom year after year unlike the Agave family. Sotols form both male and female plants using the wind for pollination. Photos and closeups of Sotol fill this gallery.

Hechita, or False Agave, is a succulent that resembles the Lechugilla but is actually a member of the pineapple family. It thrives on the limestone rich soil like that around the Old Ore Road. Hechita has its own photo gallery - it is such a distinctive desert plant.