Agave

 Family. Agavoideae.

Origin. The plant originates from Central and South America and Mexico. Agave has also been found in the Mediterranean, where it grows in mountainous areas at altitudes of approximately 2,000 to 3,000 meters above sea level.

Description. The genus contains approximately 300 species, of which about 50 were cultivated and brought to Europe around the 16th century, they were used as ornamental plants. Currently, agaves are successfully grown in open ground on the Black Sea coast.

There is an opinion that the plant blooms only once, which is not far from the truth. If the flower stalk is located in the center of the rosette - in the so-called growth point, then after flowering and fruiting the plant dies, that is, such a plant is classified as monocarpic. However, if the flower stalk is located on the side, the bush continues to live and develop.

The word "agave" comes from the Greek "amazing", "excellent". The name is due to the fact that during the flowering period the succulent truly represents a unique spectacle. The peduncle of the plant rises 8 meters in height or more.

In areas where the minimum temperature is at least 8 ° C, for example in the Crimea, the Caucasus and America, it grows well in open ground. In more northern regions, the bush is cultivated in rooms and greenhouses; it can be exposed to the open air in the warm season.

Agave is not only an ornamental plant, it is used in the textile industry, paper production, for the production of alcoholic drinks in Mexico - pulque, mezcal and tequila, and in medicine to protect against insect bites.

What does agave look like? 

These plants have a completely different appearance, although their structure is approximately the same - they all have a rosette.

Since succulents grow preferentially in deserts and semi-deserts, they can easily tolerate moisture deficiency.

The plants are characterized by spiny leaves of a wide variety of colors, collected in a rosette. The color of the leaves can vary from bluish to grayish-green with various white and yellowish stripes.   

The leaves are rough, as if curved upward, some are edged with thorns, others are smooth, thick, oblong. At the end of the leaf there is a large sharp spine.

Some plants stand out with white spots in the center or stripes along the edges, cast in a grayish or blue color.

Initially, the plant blooms at the age of at least 10 years, and some species after 20-30, or even 100 years. Flowers reach 7 cm in diameter, they are located at the top of a huge peduncle and have the shape of a bell or funnel. At home, buds are formed extremely rarely.

The flowering period is quite long - a peduncle of such huge size alone develops within 2 - 3 months.

The inflorescence  is an impressive apical panicle. There can be up to 10,000 flowers on one  peduncle, which also open alternately over several months.

 

Height.

In open ground, the plant can reach a diameter of 5 m, but in potted culture it is limited by the size of the pot.

When grown as a houseplant at home, depending on the species, it can range from 12 cm in dwarf plants to several meters in large varieties.

Flowering time

During flowering, many species emit a charming aroma.

After a period of flowering and fruiting, the plant may die due to the death of the rosette.

Peduncle up to 8 m. long, crowned with a huge panicle-shaped inflorescence with thousands of flowers of various colors.

The timing of flowering varies among different varieties and species.

Reproduction

Daughter rosettes, lateral offspring in April - June.

Propagation by seeds is possible in early spring at 20 - 25 °  C, but it will require a lot of time. The germination process takes about 2 weeks at a temperature of about 22 °  C.

The lateral shoots take root in the sand; first, the cutting site must be dried for 1 - 2 days.

Transplanting agave

Repot in the spring into a larger pot with very good drainage.

Large adult specimens are transferred once every 3 years or simply replace the top layer of substrate with a fresh one.

Old specimens can be replanted after 5 - 7 years.

When planting, do not bury the root collar under any circumstances - it should remain above the surface of the earth.

Agave at home

Growing

Household agaves are easy-to-care plants suitable for beginning gardeners.

In summer, it is advisable to take it out into the fresh air in a sunny place.

Dried old leaves must be removed in time.

Winter care involves providing a cool and fairly dry dormant period. 

Containment temperature

As a houseplant, agave is usually kept at room temperature. If possible, it is necessary to provide a winter rest period in a cool (6 - 8 ° C) but very bright place.

A cool winter will allow the bush to gain strength for subsequent growth in the new season.

Does not tolerate frost.

Watering

Agave is a drought-resistant plant; in winter, the soil is kept on the verge of drying out, moistening it once every 1-2 months.

In summer, water as the soil dries out, approximately once a week.

Under no circumstances should water get inside the plant or stand in the outlet.

Small agaves need regular watering, and as the plants age, it will be easier to tolerate drought.

Soil

For desert plants, soil with a high content of coarse sand, well-drained with expanded clay, perlite or brick chips is suitable - garden soil, coarse sand, peat. The substrate should have an alkaline reaction - pH 6.8 - 7.

Lighting

The plant is light-loving; only some species can tolerate low light. From a lack of light, the leaves may droop and become weak.

Indoor agave is a succulent that can be grown for a long time without natural light, which makes it possible to use them for landscaping rooms without windows (halls, corridors, bathrooms, etc.).

It is recommended to use LED or fluorescent lamps as a light source, which should be turned on for 14-16 hours a day.

Feeding

Feed the agave with fertilizers for succulents, with a low nitrogen content - about ½ of the usual concentration in the spring and summer.

Feed about 2 times a month, it is better not to overfeed.

Spraying

The plant does not need spraying and easily tolerates dry room air, but welcomes room ventilation.

Diseases and pests 

Root rotting is possible due to excessive watering. 

Harmful insects - mealybugs, aphids, spider mites, thrips, and rarely - scale insects.

Purpose

Agave Queen Victoria and other dwarf species are most suitable for indoor keeping due to their compact size. Young specimens of other large species are also grown.

Agaves are extremely attractive - both individually and in compositions with other succulent plants.

They feel great in winter gardens and greenhouses, on sun-drenched balconies and loggias. The plant is a tapeworm. 

Note

With proper care, an flower in a pot is long-lived.

The juice of some types has irritating properties - if it comes into contact with the skin, it can cause contact dermatitis. 

Interestingly, the plant also has medicinal properties - has an antiseptic, diuretic, disinfectant and laxative effect, and in addition, its use causes a diaphoretic effect and lowers body temperature.

Agave is used in medicine as a wound healing and anti-inflammatory agent, for example for burns.

The fiber obtained from leaves is used in the textile industry, as well as for the production of paper, ropes and cords. 

The plant releases special substances into the air - phytoncides, which help fight bacteria and viruses.

Hydroponics

Agave can be grown in a hydroponic solution.

Agave species:

Agave americana

    Agave americana is perhaps the most popular species grown in greenhouses. A short-stemmed or stemless perennial powerful plant with basal fleshy leaves collected in a rosette of grayish-green or dark green color with a waxy coating, equipped with spines along the edge. The length of the leaves can reach almost 2 meters, and the diameter of the rosette reaches 2 - 3 meters. The leaves are convex at the top and concave at the bottom. Each leaf of the American agave ends in a rather large thorn, so it is not recommended to place the plant in aisles, and, if possible, limit access to it by children and pets. Some variegated varieties are distinguished by white or yellow stripes located along the leaf - yellow-edged leaf blades. Not suitable for indoor use due to its impressive size. It grows quite slowly and for several years the young plant can be kept at home. Ideal for well-lit greenhouses and winter gardens as a solitaire plant.

Agave Filifera

       This variety is an evergreen perennial. A small or medium-sized plant from 60 to 90 cm in diameter and 60 cm in height. This holly-leaved beauty is very symmetrical and has straight, slightly curved leaves, 30 to 45 cm long and 2.5 cm wide, dark green in color, sometimes with whitish spots that become especially noticeable with age. The leaves are arranged in the form of a screw and are slightly curved upward. Along the edges of the leaves there are thin white fibers, spread in all directions, sometimes very densely. The tips of the leaves are very sharp. The peduncle is very tall - 3 to 3.5 m in height, topped with many yellowish-green to dark purple flowers up to 5 cm in diameter. Some plants produce a peduncle annually, while others bloom only every 30 to 40 years. Some species die after flowering, but new plants can also develop from daughter rosettes at their base. Flowering: late spring - early summer. 

Agave victoriae-reginae

Very slow growing, tough and beautiful plant. It has dense rosettes up to 45 cm in diameter (rarely above 22 cm). Some varieties  have different patterns, white leaf markings, or variegation. The leaves are short, 15 - 20 cm long and up to 3 cm wide, hard and thick, triangular, dark green, with shiny white edges, growing close to each other and arranged in spherical rosettes. Flowers: A panicle-shaped inflorescence, from 2 to 4 meters, containing many paired flowers of various shades, often violet-red tones. The flowering period is summer, it blooms for the first time after 20 - 30 years, then it dies within a short time. This species requires deep watering, as its roots can die if the plant is exposed to prolonged drought - even when watering the plant during its dormant period, careful watering is necessary. Needs a cool rest period and plenty of light. In summer you can keep it outside.

Agave stricta

A small evergreen species with long leaves, spherical in shape, it produces shoots to create a colony of rosettes. The stem is straight, thick, and branched. Individual rosettes, with hundreds of thin leaves, 30 to 100 cm in height, narrow, yellow-green, green or grayish-blue, round in cross-section, without spines at the edges; thick at the base and tapering towards the end. Some forms have longitudinal red stripes on the leaves. Flowers range from green to red-brown or purple, and the plant blooms from July to September, first blooming at 8 to 10 years of age.

Agave Tequilana

      Among all the diversity of the genus, blue agave stands apart, since only the syrup of this agave is used to produce the famous drink - tequila. The juice has a pleasant, sweetish taste and is used in the making of tequila. Forms a beautiful symmetrical rosette of basal, hard, pointed leaves covered with a bluish waxy coating. Flowering in this species occurs at the age of 5 - 8 years. The flowers are yellow, collected at the top of the peduncles. After flowering, the agave plant dies, leaving several small daughter rosettes. 

Agave Parryi

One of the brightest and most decorative representatives of the genus, it has a beautiful, compact symmetrical rosette of wide gray-blue leaves with long dark tips and dark brown thorns at the edges. Red or pink buds open into bright yellow flowers. A. parryi is extremely drought tolerant. The roots need to be in well-drained soil and will rot if the plant is over-watered. Requires good lighting, but can also grow in  light shade. It blooms at the age of 10 - 15, and sometimes more than 20 years. 

Agave ferox

    Perennial evergreen plant. The leaves are shiny dark green, often striped, with sparse but large dark brown to black spines. Flowers are up to 8 cm long and yellow.

Agave pumila

          This is a very compact form, which however is rarely seen. The plant size is about 12 cm in height and width.