Grow Great Agave

Succulents make a wonderful addition to any garden or plant collection. They have such unusual shapes and colors that they are usually eye-catching and beautiful. The group of succulents known as Agave are no exception. Here are some tips to help you grow the succulents in the Agave group in your home garden or plant collection.

Agave is pronounced ah-GAV-vay. These plants are in the Agavaceae family. They originated in North and South America.

This genus has many species that belong to it. And, they have developed into a wide variety of shapes and sizes. The plants grow into a rosette form that will range from 3 inches to 8 feet in diameter, dependent upon the species. The stems of most of these plants are very short. The leaves are shaped like long triangles. The colors of these leaves will range from glaucous gray to dark green, to pale apple-green. Some have white lines. There are also some species of agave that have hooked spines on the edges of the leaves.

Agave also produces flowers, like many other succulents. These will range in color from white to yellow-green. They are formed on the long terminal stalks that come from the center of the rosette. These stalks will have hundreds of small bell to tube shaped flowers on them at one time. Agave will flower only one time. After this, the rosette will die. When the flower appears, this is a signal that the rosette is mature. It shows that the plant has stored up enough energy to produce the large amount of flowers on the stalk.

Propagation of the agave is achieved with offsets, bubils, and seeds. It is a very easy succulent to grow and is recommended for beginners. If you decide to grow it in a pot, it will need a rather large one. Be sure to give it plenty of water and fertilizer during the active growing season. If your area does not have a time of year when there is frost, agave will make a dramatic outdoor accent to any garden. These plants need little attention. But, be sure to leave them enough space to grow. The soil should be gritty and rich. Agave should be planted in full sun. It has an average humidity tolerance and requires the soil to be kept evenly moist.

There are several species of agave that are recommended. A. americana, or century plant is gray-green that will grow up to 8 feet in diamater. A. attenuata is green to gray-green and spineless. It will mature to landscape size. A. bracteosa is pale or gray-green with tiny marginal teeth. It will grow up to 4 feet in diameter. A. parviflora has dark green leaves that have white lines on the upper surfaces. It will grow to only 6 inches in diameter. A utahensis 'nevadensis', has glaucous green rosettes that grow p to 16 inches in diamater. And, A. victoriae-reginae is a very attractive specimen with dark green leaves that have white lines on the underside. It will grow to 12 inches in diameter.

No matter which species of agave you choose to grow, this succulent is a wonderful addition to any garden or container collection. Because it is easy to grow, you will be able to enjoy it without having to put much work into it. Hopefully, these tips will help you grow a lovely specimen of agave in your own garden.