Agave Attenuata

Description

One of the most attractive and unusual plants in the whole world, this spectacular and popular agave, rare in the wild, is native to the plateaux of central west Mexico, and is famous as one of the very few unarmed, soft-leaved agaves. Plants are extremely expensive to buy, but it is very easy to grow from seeds, and unlike the other spiky agaves, it has very wide, fleshy and soft, pale green to blue green leaves. Adult plants finally produce an absolutely enormous striking curved column of numerous fragrant yellow flowers, the terminal ones absolutely dripping, literally, with nectar. These tower upwards before bending over, the tip often reaching the ground, as Tessa is indicating! An incredibly majestic plant, the flowering rosette then dies away, but numerous small offsets form on the base of the old stem. It has always been popular as an ornamental plant in gardens in places with subtropical and warm climates. We offer viable, scarce seed which is freshly collected.

Sowing Advice

These seeds have already been thoroughly cleaned and should be sown into a well-drained, sandy compost at any time of the year, and covered thinly with sand or grit and kept moist. Keep at between 20-25 degrees C. Seeds sometimes germinate within 4 to 6 weeks although some may take very much longer so please be patient. Plant out in the open ground in warmer countries or in a large container elsewhere.

Key Facts