Agave guadalajarana is one of the more beautiful species in the genus with its blue-grey colour.
Agave toumeyana ssp bella, below is one of the filiferous leaved species, clumping after several years.
FEATURE PLANT
Agaves
There are about 280 taxa in the genus Agave, including the former genus Manfreda. They are all sizes, an interesting range of colours, some with teeth/spines, others with no teeth or spines. They are plain colours or can be variegated.
The most commonly seen species is Agave americana and its variegated form, generally with marginal yellow stripes. This is one of the larger species, growing to about 2 metres tall and up to 3 metres across. They will have a multitude of basal offsets and can form fairly large colonies quickly. These species are OK for large outdoor areas, but not for small suburban gardens because they are too large, the terminal spine can cause extreme damage to all who come into contact and they will take forever to dig up and remove. This is not the largest species in the genus-that title belongs to Agave atrovirens and Agave franzosini , which can grow large enough to take the weight of a man on a single leaf.
There are other Agaves which are, to my mind, much nicer species to grow. One is A. guadalajarana , a lovely blue-grey species which grows to about a meter high and wide, has beautiful teeth on the leaf margins and a short, attractive, terminal spine. A slow grower, but worth the effort and it's fairly cold tolerant as well, taking temperatures down to about -5ºC.
Another of the larger species is Agave bovicornuta , which is a dark green, has strong marginal teeth and a short, but sharp terminal spine. This also has "bud printing" on the back of each leaf, showing the shape of the next outer leaf in the rosette. This grows to about 1.3 metres tall and about 1.5 metres across. Not for a small garden, but makes a nice central plant in a succulent garden. It is also fairly cold tolerant to about -7ºC.
These are but three species which can be grown in most outdoor gardens. The latter two can be grown comfortably in a pot for some years without any trouble. But some of the most beautiful are the small, filiferous leafed species, such as A. parviflora; A. toumeyana and its sub-species bella; A. filifera and its sub-species schidigera and A. polianthiflora . Species such as A. schottii and A. stricta have mildly threaded leaf margins, but still have their attractions.
Some of the softer leaved species, such as Agave attenuata , do not take very well to low temperatures, with the leaves too cold in-tolerant to grow below 0ºC. Another 'soft' leaved species , Agave bracteosa , is cold tolerant to about -4ºC, has no spines or marginal teeth and clumps fairly readily. It is quite a nice species to have in a garden or collection, staying in a pot for 5-6 years, before moving to a larger tub or growing in ground.
Some of the other species which are also very nice to have in a collection for a greenhouse or garden are as follows; A. utahensis and its varieties, eborispina;nevadensis and s/sp kaibabensis are very cold tolerant down to about -24ºC, are fairly slow growers and their main attraction is their long terminal spine. A couple of varieties have a terminal spine which have a mild "cork-screw" twist to them, which with their colouration, makes a very attractive sight. These also have small marginal teeth. Some others which are cold tolerant and won't outgrow their welcome are Agave celsii and its sub-species albicans (now known as A. celsii and ssp albidior); Agave victoriae-reginae , slow but very attractive, particularly its variegated form; Agave macroacantha , a lovely blue coloured species, which clumps, has very long, black, terminal spines and grows to about 50cm across and 40cm tall. Cold tolerant to about -5ºC; Agave parryi and its varieties, which will all clump over time, have nice spination, a blue-grey colour and are cold tolerant down to about -10ºc to -25ºC. Agave parryi can, like many other species, grow rather large, which is the exception to the rule for this species. Most specimens grow to about one metre across and high, but one I have is about 2 metres across and almost 1.5 metres tall, the first offset from an imported clone I obtained in 1989 from an American nursery.
Most species are easy to grow; there is an infinite variety from which to choose
Many species are available locally, from some growers and nurseries, in a variety of sizes. More information can be obtained from the author.
© Copyright R D Stephenson February 8 th 2005
Agave americana v. medio-picta forma alba, below, one of a number of forms and varieties of this rather large species. It has a white central stripe which turns faintly yellow as it ages. Another variety, A. americana medio-picta, has a broad yellow central stripe. Another form A. americana fma striata, has blotched variegation through the leaf-white, yellow and occasionally pink.
Agave guadalajarana is one of the more beautiful species in the genus with its blue-grey colour.
Agave toumeyana ssp bella, below is one of the filiferous leaved species, clumping after several years.
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