Accession Count: 1
Common Name:
striped American agave
Family Name:
Asparagaceae
Botanical Name:
Agave americana
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
'Variegata'
Characteristics:
Compound:
Aga ame Var
Geographic Origin:
Mexico/Desert Southwest
Ecozone Origin:
Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
Agave americana originates from Mexico and has since been distributed in areas including the United States, Mediterranean, Europe and Africa where it is used as an ornamental (1,2).
Cultivation Notes:
Agave americana prefers to grow in direct sunlight and requires only a small amount of water, as you would find in the Southwestern United States and Mexico (1,3). It can be grown in shallow well drained soil and propagates by seeds and offsets (1).
Ethnobotany:
Agave americana is used as an ornamental plant most commonly. It is also utilized for its high fiber content in and as a food source by Sonoran natives (3,4).
Height:
6 - 10 feet
Width:
6 - 10 feet
Growth Rate:
Slow Growing
Grow Season:
Summer
Flower Season:
Summer
Color:
Yellow
Function:
Accent
Spread:
Spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Tender
Water Use:
Low water Use
Citations:
1. U
of A Pima County Cooperative Extention "Agave americana."
University of Arizona, 6 July 2001. Web. 7 Dec. 2013. 2. Gentry, Howard S. The
Agave Family in Sonora.
Washington, D.C.: United States Department of Agriculture, 1972.
Print.
3. Agaves
of Continental North America.
Tucson: University of Arizona, 1982. Print.
4.
Irish, Mary, and Gary Irish. Agaves,
Yuccas, and Related Plants.
5.
Portland: Timber, 2000. Print
