Agave titanota 'Lion's Mane'

Lion's Mane is one of the named selections sold as Agave titanota. According to a Japanese succulent encyclopedia, its leaves have a pale, deep-sea blue skin, and under light strong enough to turn other agaves red it takes on no more than a soft wisteria-purple tint. As it grows, the leaves widen markedly and develop wild, deeply cut saw-like teeth. Among titanota, where compact, ball-shaped plants are favoured, its outward-spreading, somewhat drooping habit goes the opposite way, and that very look is what earns it the name 'lion's mane'. No source documents its raiser or history. Small plants do not show all these features, so to tell it from similar blue-leaved plants, check leaf width and the depth of the teeth on a reasonably grown plant. Plants traded as titanota also include what has recently been described as A. oteroi, and the classification is not settled. In Japan it is offered by specialist nurseries and online shops. Care is the same as for other titanota: strong light, good airflow and a dry regime keep the leaves compact and true to form.

The Agave titanota 'Lion's Mane' grows to Titanota rosettes range from 30 to 90 cm across (little data per cultivar).

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