About
This evergreen succulent is characterized by its compact growth, creating a rosette of wide, short leaves that display a blue-green hue complemented by creamy yellow edges. The leaf margins feature sharp, dark brown teeth, and each leaf culminates in a brown spine at the tip.
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, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained
- Aspect
- East-facing, South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H2
Plant details
- Plant type
- Cactus Succulent, Conservatory Greenhouse
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 5-10 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 freely when in growth, but keep almost dry over winter. Apply a dilute, liquid fertiliser 3 or 4 times during the growing season. Can be moved outdoors in summer, but needs to overwinter in a greenhouse or conservatory. In very hot summers, may benefit from light afternoon shade to prevent scorching. See houseplant cacti and succulent cultivation for more advice
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by removing offsets in spring or autumn
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to scale insects
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free