Agave americana

Description

Agave americana the most obvious agave naturalised throughout the Mediterranean often along roadsides and waste ground where it can reach impressive sizes. The long narrow bluish grey leaves reaching 150cm or more long, whilst the flower spikes reach for the sky 3-4m high. Quite a variable in habit but always adaptable and easy to grow. Agave americana is tolerant of wind, coastal conditions and can happily be grown in a container. Hardy to at least minus 7 degrees centigrade if kept dry.  If you want to try growing year-round outside choose a hot sunny position with perfect drainage, add gravel and ideally mulch around the base with gravel too.

I always recommend building a roof over the top of treasured agave plants in winter. Simply hammer in 4 stakes around the agave a fix a clear plastic ‘roof’ onto the top of each stake above the agave leaving the sides clear allowing wind to pass through the leaves. Alternately we recommend growing in a pot in full sun from April to the end of October depending on the weather and moving it to a greenhouse, conservatory or even shed for the winter where it can have protection from freezing and wet. No watering will be needed from November to March.

**Please note – many of our beautiful Agave are grown outdoors.  This creates a beautiful, robust plant.  It also means that occasionally, as you would expect in nature, there may be the occasional mark/scar on the odd leaf.   This is of no detriment to the plant.  Do remember – these are living things so the ideology of ‘perfection’ may need some application of reality**

• Eventual Size:1m - 1. 5m (Height) x 1m - 1. 5m (Spread).
• Position:Full sun.
• Soil:Any well-drained soil.
• Foliage:Evergreen.
• Foliage Colour:Blue, grey-green.
• Flower:Greenish-yellow (produced only by old plants).
• Hardiness: Tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
• Common Names:American aloe, century plant, Mexican soap plant, maguey