About
Agave salmiana var. angustifolia 'Variegata' is a sizable, perennial succulent that develops a rosette of firm, grey-green leaves adorned with pointed spines and edged with soft yellow margins. This plant serves as a bold architectural element, making it ideal for spacious conservatories.
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
- East-facing, South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H3
Plant details
- Plant type
- Cactus Succulent, Conservatory Greenhouse
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Spread
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 10-20 years
- Suggested uses
- Architectural, City and courtyard gardens, Gravel garden, Mediterranean climate plants, 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 onto the patio during the summer months but this cold-sensitive variety needs to overwinter in a frost-free greenhouse or conservatory. See hardy cacti and succulent cultivation for further advice
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed or by offsets
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to scale insects
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free