About
Agave americana 'Marginata' is a substantial evergreen succulent characterized by its rigid rosette of grey-green foliage edged with yellow. The leaves feature sharp spines along their edges and at the tips. When fully mature, this plant can develop a tall, branched flowering spike that reaches up to 2 meters, adorned with yellow blooms. It is well-suited for container gardening on patios but needs to be sheltered during the winter months to thrive.
About the genus
Agave consists of either perennial or monocarpic succulents that develop rosettes of typically stiff, thick, spiny leaves. The plants produce funnel-shaped flowers in racemes or panicles that often exceed the height of the rosettes.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing, East-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H2
Plant details
- Plant type
- Cactus Succulent, Conservatory Greenhouse
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 1-1.5 metres
- Spread
- 1-1.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 10-20 years
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Coastal, Gravel garden, Mediterranean climate plants, Patio and container plants
- Toxicity
- Skin irritant. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets (dogs, cats): harmful if eaten. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow under glass in cactus compost, water freely when in growth, but keep almost dry over winter. Apply a dilute, liquid fertiliser 3 or 4 times during the growing season. Agaves are monocarpic and the main rosette will die after producing a very tall (2m) flower spike, however new offsets are produced at the base of the old rosette. See houseplant cacti and succulent cultivation for further advice
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by removing offsets in spring or autumn
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to scale insects
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free