Care of the succulent plant Agave potatorum or Verschaffelt agave |
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The Agave genus, a subfamily of the Agavoideae, comprises some 300 species of succulent plants native to Mexico, Central America and the Southwest of the USA. Some species are: Agave potatorum, Agave parryi, Agave parrasana, Agave macroacantha, Agave filifera, Agave bracteosa, Agave attenuata, Agave americana, Agave stricta, Agave victoria-reginae, Agave guadalajarana, Agave striata, Agave impressa, Agave ferox, Agave sisalana, Agave ferdinandi-regis, Agave shawii, Agave angustifolia, Agave vilmoriniana, Agave univittata, Agave lechuguilla, Agave datylio. Common name: Verschaffelt agave. This species is native to central Mexico. They are compact succulent plants that reach 90 cm (2.95 feet) in diameter and more than 4 meters in height when they flower. The leaves are arranged in a rosette, are concave, with a thorny margin (black or dark spines) and are covered with a waxy layer that gives them a metallic blue tone. They produce a long inflorescence filled with yellowish-green flowers. They bloom in summer. From its fruits seeds can be obtained to obtain new specimens since agaves usually die after flowering. They are used in pots, rockeries and combine very well with other dark-leaved plants that contrast with the bright bluish of these agaves. The Agave potatorum need in an exposure of full sun and a warm climate. They are able to withstand frost down to -5 ºC (23 ºF) as long as the soil remains dry. The soil can be a mixture of 1/3 coarse sand, 1/3 leaf mulch and 1/3 garden substrate. Transplant from pot in early spring. Water moderately (every 15 days in summer) waiting for the soil to dry well as they tolerate drought well. In winter it's convenient to suspend irrigation. They do not require fertilization or pruning. It's necessary to watch the excess of humidity that rots the plants and the mealybugs in summer in the young specimens. They propagate from seeds sown in spring or summer on a sandy substrate with organic matter, moist and in semi-shade. It's advisable to sow the seeds as soon as they are collected as they soon lose their germination capacity. |
Images of the succulent plant Agave potatorum or Verschaffelt agave |
 Agave potatorum |