Agave Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia of popular agave varieties with traits, care guides, and pricing.
Featured Agave
Showing 5 of 139 species
Agave 'Blue Ember'
Agave 'Blue Ember'
A hybrid with powdery blue-grey leaves set off by dark to reddish margins and sharp spines. Its parentage has not been published, and some think it may be the same plant as the very similar 'Burnt Burgundy'.
© Stickpen / Public domainAgave 'Blue Glow'
Agave attenuata × ocahui 'Blue Glow'
A hybrid with blue-green leaves edged red and then thinly in yellow, which glow when backlit. A cross of Agave attenuata and A. ocahui, it grows slowly as a single rosette.
Agave 'Burnt Burgundy'
Agave 'Burnt Burgundy'
A cross of A. victoriae-reginae and A. palmeri with blue-green leaves strongly edged deep red. It closely resembles 'Blue Glow' and 'Blue Ember' but tends to have thicker, shorter leaves. Variegated forms also circulate.
Agave 'Sharkskin' (Sharkskin agave)
Agave nickelsiae × scabra 'Sharkskin'
A large hybrid with thick, triangular, dark grey-green leaves of a rough, shark-skin texture, neatly arranged. The margins are smooth and toothless, leaving only a stout tip spine. Thought to be a natural hybrid found in Mexico.
Agave 'Sho-Time' (A. ovatifolia × victoriae-reginae)
Agave ovatifolia × victoriae-reginae 'Sho-Time'
A cross of Agave ovatifolia and A. victoriae-reginae. Thick, ovate leaves carry crisp white bud imprints that differ on every plant, and it inherits cold tolerance from ovatifolia.
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Agave FAQ
- How much do agave cost?
- Small Titanota seedlings cost 2,000-10,000 yen, medium plants 10,000-50,000 yen, and select or rare varieties like Hakugei and Caesar can exceed 100,000 yen. Prices vary greatly by variety and condition.
- Can beginners grow agave?
- Agaves are drought-tolerant and hardy, making them easy for beginners. Place in a sunny spot with well-draining soil, and they're quite hard to fail with.
- What are the key points for growing agave?
- Sunlight, airflow, and drainage are the three essentials. Provide direct sunlight, use pumice or akadama-based soil, and water only when the pot is completely dry.
- What should I check when buying agave?
- Check whether it's rooted, leaves are developing healthily, and lower leaves aren't excessively dried. Imported bare-root plants require root establishment, so beginners should start with rooted domestically grown seedlings.
- How long do agave live?
- Agaves grow over decades and bloom only once in their lifetime before dying. However, they produce offsets, so with proper care you can enjoy them across generations.