About
Agave palmeri is a perennial succulent that develops a rigid rosette made up of light, somewhat greyish-green leaves. The leaf margins feature closely arranged teeth, and the tips are adorned with red-brown spines measuring up to 6 cm in length. This species has a slow growth rate, potentially reaching heights of 1.2 meters at full maturity. Established specimens may produce a tall inflorescence with branching clusters of small flowers that are pale yellow-green, exhibiting a reddish tint while in bud. Following flowering, the central rosette will die off.
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
- H3
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, Cottage and informal garden, Gravel garden, Patio and container plants, Sub-tropical
- Native to
- New Mexico and Arizona to 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 in free draining soil or cactus compost, water freely when in growth and apply a dilute, liquid fertiliser 3 or 4 times during the growing season. May be hardy to -8°C if kept dry over winter, provide winter protection or overwinter in a greenhouse or conservatory. See hardy cacti and succulent cultivation for more advice
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed, or sometimes by division, removing offsets in spring or autumn. This species does not regularly produce offsets
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to scale insects
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free