About
Agave bracteosa is a slow-growing, perennial succulent that retains its foliage year-round. It features a solitary rosette of narrow, succulent leaves that are fleshy and mid-green, tapering to a sharp point at the tips. Mature specimens produce a spike adorned with tightly packed, creamy-white flowers resembling a bottle brush. This compact variety is notably resilient, making it an excellent choice for adding architectural interest or a tropical flair to garden spaces.
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, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H4
Plant details
- Plant type
- Cactus Succulent
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.5-1 metres
- Time to full height
- 10-20 years
- Suggested uses
- Architectural, City and courtyard gardens, Coastal, Cottage and informal garden, Mediterranean climate plants, Patio and container plants, Rock garden, Gravel garden
- Native to
- Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León)
- 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 in full light. Water freely in summer, giving a low-nitrogen feed three or four times. Water less in autumn and keep dry in winter. A hardier variety than many agaves, and should survive temperatures to as low as 8ºF (-13ºC) outdoors if planted in a warm position in very well-drained, slightly acid soil in full sun. See hardy cacti and succulent cultivation for further advice
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed. Dies after flowering and does not produce offsets
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to scale insects
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free