Last October, the Epsom Guardian wrote about a giant agave plant reaching four metres in height despite being thousands of miles away from its optimal growing climate.

It has now flowered.

Your Local Guardian: The flowered agave salmiana in Delta Road, Worcester Park. Pic credit, with thanks: Janusz Kolendo

The agave salmiana can survive temperatures of minus seven degrees Celsius, but tends to thrive and flower in far hotter climes – southern and central Mexico, for example – but typically not the border of south London and north Surrey.

Proud owner Janusz Kolendo of Delta Road, Worcester Park, said: “It’s a magnificent sight to behold – a real rarity in suburbia, and especially this far north.”