The prickly cactus that finally grew up - after 52 years of waiting
A persevering couple have been rewarded for their patience when their rare cactus burst into flower - for the first time in 52 years.
Barbara Long, 85, and her husband John, 90, bought the rare Mexican cactus from a garden centre to brighten up their new conservatory in 1958.
The Agave cactus sat on a shelf in their bungalow, in Hitchin, Hertforshire, for more than half a century before startled Barbara discovered the prickly plant had grown a couple of inches in April.
Growing pains: John and Barbara Long have waited 52 years to see their cactus finally grow and bloom
Within days the previously dormant cactus was waist-high and so heavy the couple struggled to carry the plant from the conservatory out into the garden.
John, a retired manager and Barbara, a retired toymaker, have re-potted the cactus ten times as it soared from just a few inches high to a staggering 9ft 6in - 2.8m - and blossomed in weeks.
But the arrival of the stunning yellow blooms sadly signals the cactus' swansong - as it will now wither and die.
Barbara said: 'We watered the plant once a week between March and September then left it without water for the rest of the year. We did this for 52 years.
'I can't describe the excitement we felt when we realised it was going to flower.
'It was growing very fast and was up to my waist before we knew it and very heavy to carry. It will never fit back in the house now.'
The couple, who have been married for 65 years, started to measure the cactus with a large pole but it has grown so fast the pole will no longer reach the top.
Barbara said: 'Not many people keep it as long as us. You would have to be very old to still have one and see it flower.
'We haven't done anything particular to make it grow. We almost forgot about it before I saw it started to grow.'
It is believed Britain's unpredictable weather and a series of mild winters may have prompted its growth spurt.
Way back when: John and Barbara in 1960, two years after they bought the cactus
Cacti enthusiast Barbara got the bug after seeing a flowering cactus at Kew Gardens when she was a young woman.
Barbara said she was pleased to have lived long enough to see the plant bloom: 'Not many people get the chance to see this because they don't keep it this long. I didn't think it would flower in my lifetime but we always try to be patient.
'It is a very attractive plant but when it reaches maturity it will flower - then that sadly is the end of it.
'We waited all this time and it uses up all its energy to grow and flower.
'I've grown cacti for a long time. My husband and I have been fascinated by them especially when they flower.
'Someone said can't we put it back in the house for the winter. But we live in a bungalow so there is no way it will fit.
'It has been fantastic to watch it grow. It seemed to grow before your eyes.'
Yellow flowers, which resemble mini 'pom-poms', blossomed last week and a few buds have yet to open.
The Victoria Regina cactus, which belongs to the Agave family, usually grows on the steep canyon walls of Northern Mexico and is a very rare sight in this country, and even rarer in flower.
Guy Barter, chief horticultural advisor at Royal Horticultural Society, said: 'In the desert these cacti can live for many decades.
'But in Britain they very often die after just a couple of years because there isn't enough light or warmth.
'People with greenfingers like this couple are capable of keeping the cactus alive for years and years.
'But I am amazed this couple's cactus has lived so long. It is very impressive.'
The couple have also seen their second cactus, an Aloe, recently flower after 30 years.
Last week Heather Godfrey, 74, and husband Mike, 80, returned to their home after a two month holiday to find their Agave cactus had grown 25ft.
The couple's cactus - commonly known as a Century Plant because of an unpredictable life-cycle which sees it flower once after decades of being dormant - now towers over their home in St Merryn, in Cornwall.
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