Know your Agaves, II
Welcome back to Know your Agaves! The previous post covered Agave americana, Agave attenuata, Agave ‘Blue Glow’, Agave ‘Blue Flame’ and Agave bracteosa. We’ll continue to explore different Agave varieties, their characteristics and suggested use.
Agaves are key plants in xeric landscapes as they offer a diverse range of colors, textures, scales and of course have a stunning sculptural appearance. As they can be larger than life and quite sharp, it’s important to carefully select and locate them in any landscape.
Agave desmettiana/ Smooth Agave:
A medium sized Agave with beautiful arching leaves, smooth margins and sharp leaf tips.
Zone: USDA 9-11
Size: 3’-0” W x 3’-0” H, can reach 4’-0” x 4’-0” with ample space
Exposure: Full to part sun
Soil & Water: Well drained soil, tolerates poor soil and infrequent watering. Drought tolerant.
Agave desmettiania ‘Variegata’ planted with Phormium ‘Maori Miaden’ in an urban plaza in Long Beach, CA
Form: Symmetrical rosette with upright, arching leaves. Minimal spines, mostly smooth margin with sharp leaf tips.
Leaves & Color: Green to blue-green leaves. The variegated variety has green leaves with yellow-green margins.
Flower: After 8-10 years it produces a green flower stalk 6’-0” to 10’-0” tall, with small offset branches of light yellow flowers. Typically produces an abundance of ‘pups’.
Landscape Placement: It’s beautiful, architectural form makes it a great addition to any residential or commercial landscape. It is a fantastic focal plant along a building or site entry, as well as planted in masses or as a sculptural accent in a garden. If potted, remember that the leaf ends are sharp, always place 3’-0” minimum away from walkways or high traffic areas.
Companion Planting: Plant with other low water use plants, such as: Agave paryyi/ Artichoke Agave, Aloe rudkioppe/ Aloe ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, Calandrinia spectabilis/ Rock purslane, Hesperaloe parviflora/ Red Yucca or grasses such as Festuca ‘Siskiyou Blue/ Blue Fescue or flowering plants such as Salvia leucophylla/ Purple Sage.
Agave geminiflora/ Twin Flowered Agave:
A small scale Agave, perfect for a xeric garden, with the appearance of a Yucca. It’s more sharp than it appears to be.
Zone: USDA 9-10 (some report it does well in zone 8 but needs to be sheltered in winter)
Size: 2’-0” - 3’-0” W x 2’-0” x 3’-0” H
Exposure: Full sun to part shade. Leaves will be upright in full sun but slightly weeping in a shade exposure.
Enlarged view showing the hairs Agave geminiflora form
Soil & Water: Well drained soil, tolerates poor soil and infrequent watering. Drought tolerant.
Form: Dense, symmetrical rosette of thin leaves and tiny white hairs.
Leaves & Color: Thin, stiff, needle- like green leaves with sharp leaf end points. The plethora of leaves on one specimen make it quite sharp. In shadier areas the leaves are relaxed and less rigid.
Flower: After 10 years it produces a paired, upright flower stalk 12’-0” to 18’-0” tall with green-yellow flowers. It flowers once before dying.
Landscape Placement: This is a stunning addition to a xeric/ drought tolerant garden and pairs well with other succulents and cacti.Also compliments grasses and hedges in a Coastal landscape. Looks best in architectural rows or masses in larger areas.
Always plant 3’-0” minimum from walkways or high traffic ares. Recommend foreground or underplanting as a soft buffer.
Companion Planting: Plant with other low water use plants, such as: Hesperaloe parviflora/ Red Yucca, Dasylirion wheeleri/ Desert Spoon, or grasses such as Festuca ‘Elijah Blue’/ Blue Fescue or Bouteloua ‘Blonde Ambition’/ Blue Gramma Grass.
Agave shawii/ Shaw’s Agave:
A medium, hardy but spiky Agave that can be seen in xeric gardens. This is native to the San Diego and Baja California area and can be seen growing wild at the Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego. Sadly, Shaw’s Agave has been declining in the natural landscape. Read more about it’s decline here:
https://www.nps.gov/articles/shaws-agave-a-species-on-the-edge.htm
Zone: USDA 9-10
Size: 3’-0” - 4’-0” W x 3’-0” x 4’-0” H
Exposure: Full to part sun
Photos from Cabrillo National Monument, San Diego, of Agave shawii clusters growing naturally.
Soil & Water: Well drained soil, tolerates poor soil and infrequent watering. Drought tolerant.
Form: Rosette form with slightly upright curling leaves
Leaves & Color: Large, dark green leaves with sharp spines along leaf edges ( margin) and end points
Flower: After 20 years it produces a branched flower stalk of 6’ -0” to 12’-0” high, with yellow/ red flower clusters.
Landscape Placement: This is a stunning addition to a xeric/ drought tolerant garden and pairs well with other succulents and cacti. Looks best in large, naturally planted xeric landscape. Can be a great spiky, defensive plant to deter foot traffic.
Always plant 3’-0” minimum from walkways or high traffic areas. Recommend foreground or underplanting as a soft buffer.
Companion Planting: Plant with other sculptural, low water use plants, such as: Fucraea foetida/ Hemp Plant, Agave ‘Blue Flame’, Limonium perezii/ Sea Lavender, Yucca rostata/ Beaked yucca, Dudleya pulverulenta/ Chalk Dudleyas.
Agave parryi var. truncata / Artichoke Agave:
A stunning, small light grey/ green Agave with a beautiful rosette form. These are often planted in masses as a small scale specimen in residential and commercial landscapes.
Zone: USDA 9-10
Size: 1’-0” - 2’-0” W x 1’-0” x 2’-0” H
Exposure: Full to part sun
Agave parryi planted in a triangulated row along a sidewalk
Soil & Water: Well drained soil, tolerates poor soil and infrequent watering. Drought tolerant.
Form: Small, upright, tight rosette
Leaves & Color: Short, wide light grey/ green leaves with small spines along leaf edges and dark, sharp end points
Flower: After 10 years it produces a branched flower stalk of 10’ -0” to 15’-0” high, with yellow/ orange flowers
Landscape Placement: This is a stunning addition to a xeric/ drought tolerant garden and pairs well with other succulents and cacti. Looks best planted rows, clusters and in pots.
Always plant 3’-0” minimum from walkways or high traffic areas. Recommend foreground or underplanting as a soft buffer.
Companion Planting: Plant with other low water use plants, with yellow, green and orange tones, such as: Aloe plicatilis/ Fan Aloe, Aloe maculata / Soap Aloe, Dasylirion wheerleri/ Desert Spoon, Euphorbia ammak/ Candelabra spurge or Senecio taliniodes/ Green Chalk Sticks.
Agave victoria-reginae/ Queen Victoria Agave:
A stunning, small light grey/ green Agave with a beautiful rosette form. These are often planted in masses as a small scale specimen in residential and commercial landscapes.
Zone: USDA 9-10
Size: 1’-0” - 2’-0” W x 1’-0” x 2’-0” H
Exposure: Full to part sun
Soil & Water: Well drained soil, tolerates poor soil and infrequent watering. Drought tolerant.
Form: Tight rosette of many, small, upright curving leaves
Leaves & Color: Thin, curving dark green leaves with smooth leaf margins and sharp end tips
Flower: After 10 years it produces a branched flower stalk of 10’ -0” to 15’-0” high, with yellow/ orange flowers
Landscape Placement: This is a stunning addition to a xeric/ drought tolerant garden and pairs well with other succulents and cacti. Looks best planted rows, clusters and in pots.
Always plant 3’-0” minimum from walkways or high traffic areas. Recommend foreground or underplanting as a soft buffer.
Companion Planting: Plant with other low water use plants, with yellow, green and blue tones, such as: Agave americana, Dasylirion wheerleri/ Desert Spoon, Euphorbia ammak/ Candelabra spurge or Senecio taliniodes/ Green Chalk Sticks.
A General Note on Agave Propagation:
Use a hand trowel to separate the pups around the mother plant so that they each have a few inches of soil and any formed roots. Wearing gloves, gently pull away each pup and roots. Plant in a hole or pot twice the pup’s size with cacti mix soil and good drainage. Water when planted, several times a week after that until established. Generally, do not water during winter, they don’t need it.
Sources:
San Marcos Growers/ www.sanmarcosgrowers.com
World of Succulents/ www.worldofsucculents.com
Cabrillo National Monument/ www.nps.gov