pictures around town

We have some interesting roadside plantings around town, like these:

Spent flowers

Cool shadows

but why do they groom the plants like this:

Pineapple?

That's a Dasylirion wheeleri, but it looks like an ugly pineapple. I guess they kind of match the palm trees, but still! They're planted in a big gravel bed, so they shouldn't get in anyone's way. But the entire area is groomed like this. Maybe I'll plant one in my garden and leave it untrimmed, just to correct the balance a bit.