Blue Agave and the Tequila it Makes

A succulent is an attractive and hardy plant that is easy to care for in a sunny indoor location. Agave is a succulent also well known for the part it plays in manufacturing a popular alcoholic drink. Though agave is a low-maintenance plant, it requires accommodations to grow and thrive as a part of your garden or as a decorative indoor houseplant.

Tequila is a popular drink at parties, bars, and Mexican restaurants, served straight, with a lime and salt or mixed into a sweet and sour margarita. Tequila is a hard alcoholic beverage made from the tequila agave, or blue agave plant. By law, all tequila must be made in Mexico. Once the tequila is fermented, it is aged in oak barrels. Types of tequila include silver, reposado, and anejo. Popular brands of tequila, the drink made from agave, include Patron, Sauza, and 1800. Tequila is usually shot with a lime and salt or served in a margarita.

Agave is a succulent with spiny leaves shaped into a round base that looks like a ball, similar in appearance to a large, tough artichoke. A succulent is a plant with a stem and plump, moisture-holding leaves. According to "The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual" by Barbara Pleasant, more than 400 varieties of agave have been identified.

The tequila agave is not the only type of agave. Of the many species of agave, a few are suitable as houseplants, and many others thrive in an outdoor garden or wild growing environment. Types of agave that take to indoor life well include the "little princess agave" and "American agave" varieties. The Agave palmeri is a large outdoor variety of agave that is used to manufacture tequila and mescal.

Agave thrives in a sunny environment that gets a minimum of five hours of direct sunlight per day. Most agave plants do best in temperatures ranging from 50 to 90 degrees F. Agave requires a well-drained soil that contains a lot of gravel or sand that can help prevent overwatered soil. Because agave is a heavy plant, it should be grown in a wide-bottomed pot to avoid toppling the pot when the plant becomes heavy. Though agave plants can grow indoors or outdoors, indoor-grown agave houseplants do not flower.

Warning

The sap of agave plants is a common irritant for people with sensitive skin. Many agave gardeners use gloves and wear protective clothing when handling the plant to avoid contact with the sap of the agave plant.