About
Agave filifera is a perennial plant that maintains its foliage year-round, reaching heights of up to 45 cm. It features compact rosettes of rigid, pointed leaves, which are characterized by long white fibers along their edges. The plant produces greenish-white flowers that emerge in spikes from upright stems, extending to a height of 2.5 meters.
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, East-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H2
Plant details
- Plant type
- Cactus Succulent, Conservatory Greenhouse
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 10-20 years
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Gravel garden, Architectural, Coastal, Mediterranean climate plants
- Native to
- N & C Mexico
- 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 a standard cactus compost, in bright, filtered light. When in growth water moderately and feed every two or three weeks with a balanced liquid feed. Keep almost dry in the winter. See houseplant cacti and succulent cultivation for further information
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by offsets taken in spring or autumn
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to scale insects
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free