CHASE ? A cactus that has grown to 37 feet is drawing a lot of attention to a small Kansas town.

The cactus, called an American aloe, is expected to bloom any day now for the first time since Ed Ward gave it to his wife in 1976. The Wards live in Chase, a Rice County town about 90 miles northwest of Wichita.

In mid-March, the Wards noticed the stem had begun growing about a foot a day. It also has buds the size of small bananas.

Ed Farley estimates about 3,000 people have stopped to take pictures of the plant since it was featured a few months ago on a national television show.

The Wichita Eagle reports that some people say the plant dies after it blooms, but others disagree.