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Agave (Century Plant)
We are fascinated by these architectural but anti-social southwest native plants. Some species thrive despite our hot, humid summers and cold, wet winters. Agaves are great in a rock garden, or otherwise sited in a hot, sunny area. In the summer months, agaves respond amazingly to water and fertilizer, but in the winter, good drainage and planting on any degree of slope is essential to winter survival. In cold zones, we recommend that you establish (plant) the agaves early in the growing season (by midsummer at the latest) for best results. We are pleased to offer an increasing number of rare variegated selections that before now have been confined to the high-dollar collectors market. |
Agave ocahui var. ocahui (Hardy Century Plant)
Sun Zone: 7b-10, at least 18" tall Origin: Mexico
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This medium-sized century plant has fared very well in our trials, forming an 18" tall x 3' wide solitary rosette of dark green leaves, edged with smooth reddish-brown margins. When the clumps mature, they are topped with a 9' tall narrow spike of bright yellow flowers. Hailing from the northern Mexico state of Sonora, A. ocahui can be found on volcanic limestone up to 4,500' elevation. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #07928
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Agave ovatifolia (Whale's Tongue Hardy Century Plant)
SunZone: 7-9, at least 36" tall Origin: Mexico alternate image
This fabulous agave was first brought into the US by the late Lynn Lowery, who found it growing between 3000' and 7000' elevation in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. It was planted around Dallas and survived for decades unscathed by cold. Agave expert Greg Starr, curious to know its identity, retraced Lynn's route and found the original population in Mexico, where it was determined to be a new species and subsequently named in 2002. In form, it looks like an Agave parryi on steroids, forming a 30" tall x 5' wide (in 5 years), symmetrical clump of wide grey leaves. It has proven to be one of the best agaves for cold, wet climates, far outperforming almost all other species. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #06306
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Agave palmeri 'Cutty Shark' (Cutty Shark Century Plant)
SunZone: 7b-9, at least 36" tall Origin: Mexico
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This form of Agave palmeri is our seedling selection from a population of plants growing near Divisadero, in the northern Mexican State of Sonora. We found this form to be quite distinct from all of the AZ populations that we have visited. The tall silver-blue leaves, edged with hundreds of tiny teeth, and with great bud imprinting, form a 3' tall x 3' wide (in 7 years) slowly-offsetting clump...quite dramatic. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #07635
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Agave parryi 'Cream Spike' (Cream Spike Hardy Century Plant)
SunZone: 9-10 4" tall Origin: Mexico
We originally got this plant from Randy Baldwin of San Marcos Growers under the invalid name of Agave parryi 'Minima Variegata'. Not only was the cultivar name invalid, but some agave experts think it might not even be A. parryi. We're leaving the parryi species name intact, since it resembles the other A. parryi forms that we grow. This stunning specimen makes a compact 1' wide clump of blue leaves, each surrounded by a wide creamy border. Even where it's not hardy, A. 'Cream Spike' makes a stunning container specimen. This is not the same plant as A. parryi patonii 'Minor Variegata' or A. parryi 'Mexico Variegata'. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #07241
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Agave parryi ssp. huachucensis (Hardy Century Plant)
SunZone: 6-9a 24" tall Origin: USA, Mexico alternate image
Native to oak woodlands from AZ to northern Mexico from 5000' to 7000', this is the largest in the hardy Agave parryi group. The very wide, steely blue-grey foliage makes a striking rosette (in more ways than one) to 2' wide. In about 8 years, the clumps are topped with giant Jack-in-the-beanstalk-like flower spikes to 12' tall! The leaves of this form are flatter and wider, but not as thick as A. parryi ssp. parryi. As with all agaves, winter drainage is absolutely critical for survival in cold climates. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #00016
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Agave parryi ssp. truncata (Hardy Century Plant)
SunZone: 6-9a, at least 18" tall Origin: Mexico
Finally, we are able to offer what is considered one of the most beautiful of all the agaves. A. parryi ssp. truncata has a very limited distribution, found only in Durango, Mexico, where it can best be described as short, fat, blue, and producing lots of offspring. Come to think of it, that also describes most of the guys at the local saloon on Saturday night. Each 18" tall x 18" wide robust clump is topped at maturity with a phallic flower bud that enlarges into a 3" diameter, 20' tall flower spike, which could easily be used for a flagpole...we like horticultural multi-tasking. Remember to keep it well-drained and dry in the winter months. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #05247
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Agave polianthiflora (Tuberose-flowered Century Plant)
Sun to Part SunZone: 8-10, at least 5" tall Origin: Mexico
NEW!
This northern Mexican species makes a very cute rosette to only 5" tall x 10" wide, composed of very dark green leaves, highlighted with an abundance of white filifers (hairs). In the wild, A. polianthiflora can be found clinging to pine and oak forested rock outcrops up to 6,500' elevation...come to think of it, that's exactly what I do at that elevation. The 6' tall spikes of pinkish-red flowers top the plant at maturity. It usually takes approximately 8-10 years for agaves to prepare for meaningful sex in captivity, but it sure beats every 100 years in the wild. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #07562
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Agave potrerana (Potrerana Century Plant)
SunZone: no info yet 24" tall Origin: Mexico
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I first saw this amazing agave at California's Ruth Bancroft garden, where it was in full flower. A. potrerana hails from the high mountains (5000-8000') in the Northern Mexican provinces of Chihuahua and Coahuila. The 2' tall x 4' wide solitary rosette of grey-green leaves is topped when mature with a stunning 20' tall giant bottlebrush-like inflorescence combining the colors red, orange, yellow, and pink. A. potrerana is almost never tried in cooler climates, a surprise since author Howard Gentry, in Agaves of Continental North America, states "It grows in a habitat with hard winter freezes.." We'll both try it together. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #07828
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Agave salmiana var. ferox 'Green Goblet' (Green Goblet Hardy Century Plant)
SunZone: 7b-9, at least 48" tall Origin: Mexico alternate image
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This Yucca Do selection T43-29 comes from Mexico near the Sierra Chiquita Mountains. All of the A. salmiana var. ferox in this population were blue except this clone, which displayed dark green leaves with a blue dusting at the leaf base. This 4' tall x 4' wide clump has performed extremely well in our climate to the single digits...good winter drainage is important. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #05716
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Agave salmiana var. ferox 'Logan Calhoun' (Hardy Century Plant)
SunZone: 7-10 50" tall Origin: Mexico alternate image
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(syn: A. ferox) This outstanding selection of A. salmiana var. ferox was given to us by the late TX plant explorer Logan Calhoun just before his death. This giant agave forms a 4-5' tall x 8' wide specimen of shiny, thick green leaves. Each leaf is lined from tip-to-tip with huge, carefully placed spines...to induce maximum pain. This is a freely offsetting variety that you can share with all your friends...those of your friends that you like enough to risk your life for by removing the offsetting pups. The legendary flower stalks put Jack's proverbial beanstalk to shame...20-25' tall and as thick as the neck of an NFL lineman. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #04990
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Agave salmiana var. ferox x scabra (La Escondida Century Plant)
SunZone: 7b-9, guessing 48" tall Origin: Mexico
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These plants were grown from seed collected near La Escondida, Mexico (Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range) as A. macroculmis. It is now evident that they are probably a natural hybrid of A. salmiana var. ferox and A. scabra. We are currently growing these hybrids from earlier collections and have found them to be superb garden specimens in our climate. I would eventually expect large plants to 4-5' tall x 6-8' in width with good grey-green coloration and upturned leaf tips. These are in limited supply for experimental gardeners, so get them while they last. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #07222
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Agave scabra 'Coahuila' (Hardy Century Plant)
SunZone: 7b-10 36" tall Origin: Mexico
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One of the most reliable agaves for us has been Agave scabra, but we have had trouble obtaining a seed source. Thanks to our friends at Mountain States, we now are able to offer this exciting and rarely available hardy agave. This collection is from Coahuila, Mexico, and grows in a dry, mountainous terrain. Closely related to A. americana, the 4' wide clump is composed of thick, powder-blue foliage topped, when mature, with giant flower spikes to 15' tall. This is probably the subspecies, A. scabra ssp. maderensis. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #04766
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Agave scabra ssp. potosiensis (Rough-leaf Century Plant)
SunZone: 7b-10, guessing 36" tall Origin: Mexico
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(syn: A. asperrima ssp. potosiensis) This form of Agave scabra comes from the central Mexico State of San Luis Potosi. As compared to the other forms of A. scabra, these have more silvery-white foliage and broader leaves which recurve toward the tips. The 3' tall x 6' wide clumps make stunning specimen plants which sucker moderately well. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #07597
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Agave scabra ssp. scabra (Rough-leaf Century Plant)
SunZone: 7b-10, guessing 24" tall Origin: Mexico
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(syn: Agave asperrima ssp. asperrima) This form of Agave scabra is the predominant form found in northern Mexico. The clumps rarely top 2' tall and the rigidly upright foliage can range from green to glaucous grey. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #07720
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Agave schidigera 'Shira ito no Ohi' (Queen of White Thread Century Plant)
SunZone: 8-10 12" tall Origin: Mexico
NEW!
(aka: A. filifera 'Compacta Marginata') This amazingly slow-growing century plant has been circulated in the collector market for several years, but we are finally able to offer it in our catalog. The 1' tall x 18" wide rosette is composed of dark green leaves, each highlighted by a dramatic creamy-white border and curly white hairs. This solitary (non-offsetting) plant makes a lovely specimen for Zone 8 and south, and a dramatic container specimen in parts north. If anyone knows where this clone originated (probably Japan), we'd love to know. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #07921
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Agave 'Sharkskin Shoes' (Sharkskin Shoes Hardy Century Plant)
SunZone: 7b-10, at least 36" tall Origin: Mexico
We've long had a love affair with this elegant naturally-occurring Mexican hybrid (A. ferdinand-regis x A. scabra). This selection comes to us from the wonderful Ruth Bancroft Garden in CA. The rigidly upright, triangular, olive-green leaves with a blue cast are thicker than an offensive lineman's neck and have the feel of sharkskin. A. 'Sharkskin Shoes' forms a stunningly architectural clump, eventually to 3' tall x 4' wide. Agave 'Sharkskin Shoes' is easy-to-grow but very slow to reach mature size, as evidenced by our 6-year-old plants which are only 18" tall x 2' wide. In 2007, we listed this as A. 'Sharkskin' which we now know is a similar but different clone; hence, the name change. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #07471
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Agave 'Silver Surfer' (Silver Surfer Century Plant)
SunZone: 7b-9 60" tall Origin: Mexico
From a 1992 Yucca Do seed collecting expedition (YD 45-83) at 5200' in Palmillo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, where Agave americana ssp. protoamericana intergrades with Agave scabra, we selected out this particularly nice clone. A. 'Silver Surfer' has since formed a 5' tall x 9' wide clump of stiff, outfacing, silvery-blue leaves. This slow-offsetting agave is a favorite of garden visitors, so we are thrilled to finally be able to list it in our catalog...get them while they last. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #05135
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Agave striata (Narrow Leaf Century Plant)
SunZone: 7b-10 18" tall Origin: USA
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This easy-to-grow century plant looks quite different from the wider leaf types, with its narrow, rounded, grey-green, knitting needle-like leaves that are quite stiff and delightfully painful...ask your friend to weed around this one for some real laughs! The initial rosettes are 18" tall x 3' wide, but after the 8' tall flower stalks finish in mid-summer, the rosette branches and continues to grow, eventually creating a stack of porcupine-like balls. Hailing from the Sierra Madre Orientale mountain range in northeast Mexico, Agave striata has good winter hardiness and has been fine at 0 degrees F in our garden. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #01149
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Agave toumeyana ssp. bella (Hardy Century Plant)
SunZone: 7-9, at least 12" tall Origin: USA
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This small rock garden species is endemic to limestone outcrops in central Arizona at elevations up to 4500'. A. toumeyana makes individual rosettes to 1' tall x 1' wide with narrow, dark green leaves highlighted with dark brown margins and white bud imprints on the leaves. A. toumeyana offsets to form a splendid, tight colony resembling overweight hedgehogs at a feeding trough. Well-drained, rocky soils are important to be successful with A. toumeyana. Mature plants are topped with 8' tall flower spikes. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #05765
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Agave 'Tradewinds' (Tradewinds Century Plant)
Sun to Part SunZone: 9-10, guessing 12" tall Origin: Hybrid
NEW!
New crop available 5-29-2008 (aka: A. potatorum 'Variegata') This interesting century plant is probably a seedling from A. 'Kissho Kan'. The symmetrical 12" tall x 15" wide rosette has a darker, more glossy blue leaf than A. 'Kissho Kan' but is bordered with a similar creamy white border. Unlike A. 'Kissho Kan', the spines emerge cinnamon red and remain that color. I have purchased it both as a selection of A. potatorum and A. parryi, both of which it is not. We have named it after John Lucas's Tradewinds Nursery, seemingly the first to import this into the US from Thailand. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #07009
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Agave victoriae-reginae 'Compacta' (Queen Victoria Century Plant)
SunZone: 7b-10 10" tall Origin: Mexico
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Imagine plugging a beach ball into a 240-volt outlet, and you can begin to picture this cool agave. This dwarf seed strain of the Queen Victoria agave makes a very tight, leafy ball with the typical dramatic white veining for which this species is known. In the garden, where space is a consideration, or in a small container, this "compact" form is a great choice. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #04774
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Agave weberi 'Arizona Star' (Arizona Star Century Plant)
Sun to Part SunZone: 8b-10, at least 48" tall Origin: Mexico
Agave 'Arizona Star' is a PDN introduction, propagated from a plant that we discovered in a block of the central Mexican A. weberi at Arizona's Mountain States Wholesale Nursery. We'd like to thank them for allowing us to make this find available. A. weberi 'Arizona Star' makes a large, 4' tall x 7' wide specimen of 5" wide blue-green leaves, each surrounded by a 1.5" wide yellow border. The leaves have only tiny, barely visible spines along the leaf edge and one real one at the leaf tip. This plant is not the same as A. weberi 'Marginata', which for us has been much slower growing with cream-colored margins. Pot size: 24 fl. oz (709.77 ml) #06286
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