Agave americana, also called sentry plant, century plant, maguey or American aloe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Agavaceae and native to Mexico and the United States in New Mexico, Arizona and Texas.
Agave are long lived, magnificent specimens for a dry garden and there are more than 200 species of them.
Agave plants are fleshy-leave succulents with dense rosettes of leaves that have teeth running up the edges ending in a sharp point on the end. They grow approximately 6 ft tall. The interior of the leaves is filled with a fibrous material that holds moisture.
Mature plants produce pups (ie young plants) that can be separated and replanted.
Agave only flowers once in its life then dies. Some species of Agave can be harvested and eaten for food and are a traditional food source for some Native American tribes.
Weber’s Blue Agave is probably the most widely known of all the Agave as this is the plant from which the popular Tequila is made.
Until next week, Happy Gardening
