Jorielle's Blog

Agave attenuata
Apr 3, 2008 | 12:02 AM PST
Agave attenuata (Fox Tail Agave) - This Agave presents to the gardener none of the dangers that its spine-covered relatives do. Massing up to 4 to 5 feet tall by as wide with individual rosettes that may reach 4 feet wide on stout curving smooth gray stems that rise up to 4 feet tall. The wide pale green pliable leaves emerge from a tight central spear to arch gracefully back, looking a bit like large open green flower. Mature plants sends up a 5 to 10 foot vertical flower stalk that reflexes back towards the ground before arching upward again, giving this plant the common name Fox-tail agave. The flowers are a pale greenish yellow and are followed by seed pods and many new "plantlets" (or bulbils). Plant in full coastal sun to shade in moist or dry soils (looks best with regular watering). Tolerates seaside conditions but it will usually be damaged in temperatures below 28° F. Protect from snails which can also disfigure the plant. This plant is a beautiful soft green which works well with other succulents or even tropical plant material.

Cultural Practices: Tolerates poor soil and drought, but does much better in good soil and regular water.

Blooming Habits: Blooms only when the plant is 10 years old or more. The flower stalk is large (7 to 13 feet - 2 to 4 m) with yellow-green drooping flowers organized as a raceme. The plant then dies leaving suckers that grow into replacement plants.

Spineless Century Plant is a hardy survivor, tolerating heat, drought, and moderate salt exposure. Little irrigation is needed once the plant is established. It grows best in full sun but can adapt to some shade. After 10 years or more (though not a century), a lofty flower spike is produced, with terminal panicles of pale yellow to white blooms. The stem producing the flower dies soon after. Plants can be grouped together in a mass or planted alone as a specimen in a rock garden. Larger commercial landscapes have room for multiple mass plantings which can create a dramatic impact.

Agave attenuata is a plant that is much overlooked in pot culture. The 2 ft. leaves are soft green or gray green, somewhat translucent, with no spines. Agave attenuata is a native of Mexico.

The plant is extremely drought tolerant but does better with ample moisture. As plants get older, they produce stout trunks up to 5 ft. tall, and form clumps to 5 ft. across. Soft Leaved Agave is an excellent house plant for southern exposures. It lacks the spines that most Agaves have.

Grow them in sun or shade almost any soil as long as it is not swampy. They will survive and grow even if you forget to water them for 6 weeks in summer!

Generalities: This plant in the spring, summer, autumn, winter assumes a yellow colouring; it is medium in size and can reach 1 m high. It keeps its leaves in the winter. Growing they develop a round-shape shrub. The Century plant is a succulent plant.

Fertilization: During the beautiful season it’s good to enrich the soil of our succulent plants; we advise using a fertilizer rich in potassium and phosphorous, but poor in nitrogen, because this chemical element doesn’t help the development of succulent plants, making them too soft and full of water.

Exposure: The Century plant needs a minimum temperature superior to 15°C, during this time of the year it is best to check the night temperatures before setting it outside. For a balanced development, it is best to position the The Century plant in a place where it is exposed to at least a few hours of direct sunlight.A great part of succulent plants can endure low temperatures, even below 5°C, but if we’re growing them in a harsh climate we must avoid watering.

Watering: We suggest watering these plants only from time to time, but we must remember to wet the soil deeply using 120-121 glasses of water every 4-5 weeks . Succulent plants can also endure long periods of time without watering; usually as the climate gets colder they need less water, while during the summer months they should be watered abundantly .

Treatments: The spring weather, with a high temperature swing between the day and night hours, and pretty frequent rains, can favour the development of fungus diseases, which should be treated pre-emptively with a systemic fungicide, to use before the gems grow excessively; at the end of the winter we also suggest a wide range insecticide to prevent the attack of aphids and cochineals. We should always remember to do these treatments when there aren't flowerings in the garden.

Soil: These succulent plants need to be located in an accentuated and drained substratum. We suggest repotting every 2-3 years.