Agave 'Kutsugen no Maiougi' (Qu Yuan's Dancing Fan)

Kutsugen no Maiougi ('Qu Yuan's dancing fan') is a Japanese-named agave that has been in circulation for a long time. According to a Japanese succulent encyclopedia, it is prized for the contrast of matte blue-grey, sharp leaves against red or orange teeth, and several types circulate, including one with glossy, centipede-like red teeth and a 'renshi' type whose teeth fuse into bands. It offsets freely, which also makes it easy to obtain. On the other hand, the name seems to have been given to a plant of unclear origin, and its parent species is uncertain: some consider it a form of A. palmeri, others say it only resembles that species. Qu Yuan was a statesman and poet of the ancient Chinese state of Chu. The red-toothed and fused-tooth types are usually sold with an extra descriptor, so if you want a particular type, check tooth colour and arrangement on the actual plant. Growth is slow, and one grower's record notes it had not grown much after several years. In Japan it is widely sold by garden centres, specialist nurseries and online shops.

Light feeder; a little slow-release fertiliser in the growing season is enough