About
Agave parrasana 'Meat Claw' is a perennial succulent that develops a dense, upright rosette comprised of wide, thick grey-green leaves. The leaf margins feature elongated, curved spines that start off with a reddish hue and transition to grey as they age.
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
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H3
Plant details
- Plant type
- Cactus Succulent, Conservatory Greenhouse
- Habit
- Bushy
- 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, Cottage and informal garden, Gravel garden, Mediterranean climate plants, Patio and container plants, Rock garden
- 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. Hardier than some other agaves, and may survive outdoors in very well-drained soil with winter protection. See hardy cacti and succulent cultivation for further advice
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to scale insects
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free