Agave plants make a fine addition to any cactus and succulent collection, but do have some unique requirements. This diverse and beautiful group of plants provide a variety of shapes, forms, and colors to grab the interest of virtually any collector. Their ease of growth makes them an ideal plant for the beginning collector, and the challenge of growing truly "perfect" specimens makes them a joy for more advanced collectors.

One potential drawback of these plants is the size many of them eventually attain. Agave americana, perhaps the best known species, can easily form a rosette 6-8 feet across and nearly as tall. Fortunately, the growth can be restricted somewhat by keeping the plants more pot bound. A downside to that approach, however, is that a very pot bound environment encourages the plant to produce pups, providing a great opportunity to enhance the size of your collection, and to pass plants along to many friends.

Other species, however, stay a far more manageable size. One of my favorite smaller species is Agave verschaefeltii, a small species related to Agave potatorum. It maintains a tight rosette form and a deep bluish coat. Agave univittata stays small, and is distinguished by very shiny, bright green leaves with a prominent yellowish center stripe. This species is very prolific with its offsets, sending out long runners with new rosettes on the end.

There are also several variegated cultivars worthy of mention. Varieties of Agave americana are perhaps the most prevalent, with at least four distinct patterns of variegation available: v. marginata (yellow margins); v. medio-picta (prominent yellow center); v. medio-picta alba (prominent white center on very blue leaves); and v. striata (with yellowish stripes distributed throughout the leaf). A variegate of Agave angustifolia is also commonly available and attractive. Less common variegates of Agave ferox, A. tequilana, A. potatorum, and A. desmettiana also add considerable beauty to a collection, but are very difficult to find for sale or trade.

Some of the true miniature cultivars are also worth a look,

particularly because of their ease of handling. Perhaps the best known is Agave verschaefeltii v. minima Shoji-raijan, a miniature clustering form with blue leaves. Agave pumila is also a beautiful but rare find of quite small stature. Some forms of Agave victoriae-reginae stay quite small, as does a unique form of Agave striata.

For collectors of cacti and some other succulents who are used to a regular display of flowers, an initial foray into agaves may prove disappointing. Most of these plants do not bloom for 15 or more years after germination, and is usually the last act of the plant before it perishes. The sheer beauty of that rare flowering, however, makes the wait and the loss of the plant more than worthwhile.

I was fortunate enough to witness the flowering of a specimen of Agave parryi in a 24 inch pot at my mothers home. The plant had fully filled the pot, and in about September, shortly after a summer outdoors, a very swollen growth tip began to appear. A shoot, resembling a giant asparagus spear, appeared out of the center of the plant in October and grew at an amazing rate to nearly 6 foot, with considerable branching. The grow lights had to be raised every 2-3 days to keep pace with the growth of the stalk. By Thanksgiving, flowers were beginning to open, with a beautiful display very near the ceiling for Christmas. The flowers were very sweet smelling and produced copious quantities of nectar, which found its way onto the floor beneath the plant since it lacked a pollinator to drink the nectar. However, in spite of the absence of any pollinators, many of the flowers turned into seed pods over the spring, and produced countless seeds, which proved quite viable in subsequent plantings.

Hopefully, you, too, can find the space to enjoy these fascinating, beautiful plants. They are a very rewarding group to grow, and provide a number of opportunities for both seed and vegetative propagation. Happy growing!