About
Agave lechuguilla is a perennial succulent that develops a rosette made up of upright, narrow leaves that are linear or lance-shaped, displaying a light green hue. The leaf edges feature sharp teeth, and the tips are adorned with spines that can reach up to 4.5 cm in length. Occasionally, the undersides of the leaves exhibit darker green streaks. When fully mature, this plant may send up a tall flower spike, bearing yellow blossoms, after which the central rosette will die.
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
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H2
Plant details
- Plant type
- Cactus Succulent, Conservatory Greenhouse
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 0.5-1 metres
- Spread
- 0.5-1 metres
- Time to full height
- 10-20 years
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Coastal, Cottage and informal garden, Gravel garden, Patio and container plants, Sub-tropical
- 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 sparingly when in growth, and keep almost dry over winter. Apply a dilute, liquid fertiliser 3 or 4 times during the growing season. Can be moved to a sunny spot outdoors in summer, but ideally needs to overwinter in a greenhouse or conservatory; may tolerate lower temperatures if kept completely dry. See houseplant cacti and succulent cultivation for more advice
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed, or by removing offsets in spring or autumn. Plants of this species usually offset freely
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to scale insects
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free