The flower stalks are a thing to behold. Once visible, the seemingly ever-elongating spike grows almost visibly each day to a height of perhaps 12 to 18 feet. Flowering seems to be stimulated by plant maturity, the availability of water and probably day length. Each plant is separately sexed with only flowers of one gender per stem. The rather insignificant flowers are clustered on the woody stalk.
Male flowers have yellow protruding stamens.
Flowers are followed by reddish, winged seed capsules. Spent stalks may be removed without endangering the plant. Despite the resemblance to century plants, sotol typically does not die following flowering. The sotol is native to rocky, sandy soils of the southwest throughout the borderlands of Arizona, New Mexico, west Texas and Mexico. Placement in landscaped areas requires excellent drainage, but otherwise it will tolerant most soil types including alkaline.