Why develop agave? Efficiently, these low-maintenance crops can add magnificence with their stunning foliage in each your indoor houseplant assortment and your outdoors landscaping. Plus, most varieties will flower at the least as shortly as of their lifetime. Rising each indoors and open air has its execs and cons. 

For rising indoors, you’ll need to decide small, compact varieties that do correctly in containers. You acquired’t want to provide any consideration to your rising zone or native local weather on account of indoors, chances are high you will create one of the best situations. Indoors, they like a shiny, sunny window and should dry out completely between waterings. 

For rising agave open air, mature dimension wouldn’t matter as tons. Because you don’t must embody the crops in a pot, chances are high you will select varieties with numerous mature sizes. Some can attain as loads as 10 toes tall and broad when grown open air. For outdoor crops, you’ll want to consider your USDA rising zone and whether or not or not or not or not it can get too chilly for these outdoors crops to outlive. 

Indoor Varieties

As talked about above, agave varieties that do correctly indoors embody small and compact varieties. These varieties could also be pint-sized, however they aren’t quick on magnificence. Every alternative has its non-public distinctive foliage, and so they additionally’re absolutely fitted to life on a windowsill.

Agaves don’t require tons by way of handle a houseplant. Watering them too usually or fertilizing them could set off them to die. For people who usually end up forgetting to water your houseplants, then agave might be the plant for you! 

When rising indoors, that you will need to select a container with a drainage gap, however ditch the saucer as you don’t need to create any standing water. Overly moist soil shall be detrimental. And whereas these varieties are good for indoors, chances are high you will develop most of them open air, too!

Blue Glow

‘Blue Glow’ Agave is a comparatively new cultivar, which is a hybrid of Agave attenuata and Agave ocahui. And whereas it doesn’t resemble its father or mother crops, it does showcase stunning darkish blue-green leaves with yellow and purple margins. These margins seemingly glow when backlit by the photograph voltaic, thus the title ‘Blue Glow’. 

Full photograph voltaic is most fascinating for this alternative, however it will furthermore address dappled daylight. Its mature dimension is 2 to a few toes tall and broad, which makes it good for rising in containers indoors. 

Artichoke

Agave parryi var. Truncata has broad, blue leaves with maroon spines that resemble an artichoke. Subsequently the frequent title, artichoke agave. This alternative is native to Central Mexico, which makes it terribly drought-tolerant and low-maintenance. 

It does most fascinating in full photograph voltaic, which shall be geared up indoors through the use of mirrored daylight as correctly. Chances are high you will create mirrored mild through the use of foil, strategically positioned mirrors, or complement with indoor develop lights. Its mature dimension is two toes tall and three toes broad. 

Twin Flowered

Agave geminiflora, or twin-flowered agave, has extended, slender leaves which set it apart from completely totally different agaves. The extended, skinny foliage resembles a pin cushion. Its look can add uniqueness to your indoor succulent assortment. 

It does most fascinating in full photograph voltaic, which, as talked about above, shall be geared up indoors through the use of mirrored daylight as correctly. Its mature dimension is three toes tall and 4 toes broad. 

Agave schidigera

Agave schidigera has curly white fibers on every shiny inexperienced leaf. The white markings on the leaves improve the excellence of the inexperienced foliage. This alternative is native to central Mexico. 

It requires full photograph voltaic or filtered afternoon shade. Its mature dimension is one foot tall and one to 2 toes broad. 

King Ferdinand

Agave Ferdinandi Regis bears a inserting resemblance to ‘Queen Victoria’ Agave. Heaps in order that it was as shortly as thought that it was a naturally occurring hybrid of Agave victoriae-reginae, however it absolutely actually has since been acknowledged as its present alternative.

Furthermore it is acknowledged often as King of The Agaves. This alternative has darkish inexperienced leaves, white margins, and sharp terminal methods. It grows in an open rosette, which seems to be fairly in a container. It requires full photograph voltaic and desires an considerably sunny window when grown indoors. Its mature dimension is one to 2 toes tall and broad. 

‘Compacta’ Queen Victoria

Agave victoriae-reginae ‘Compacta’ is a compact, container-friendly cultivar of Agave victoriae-reginae. You may even see this alternative at desert botanical gardens. It is among the many many most beautiful agaves.

It has darkish inexperienced leaves and vibrant white markings. Very just like the above-mentioned ‘King Ferdinand’, however with far more distinction. It requires full photograph voltaic, ideally a extraordinarily sunny window when grown indoors. Its mature dimension is lower than one foot tall and one to 2 toes broad. 

Exterior Varieties

When deciding on an agave option to develop open air, you’ll want to consider your USDA rising zone. Correct proper right here, we’ll embody that knowledge with every alternative so as that you could be resolve if it can develop open air in your home. The rising zone signifies the frequent low temperature in your home. That is important to know for multi-annual crops like agave since they’re going to be spending the winter outdoors. 

Agaves are native to the Southern United States, Central Mexico, the Caribbean, and parts of South America. For that objective, they develop most fascinating in Southwest and Mediterranean climates, however some are fairly chilly and hardy. To outlive the winter, like most agaves, they are going to want well-drained soil. Standing water in colder months could set off hurt and plant lack of life. 

Golden Flowered Century Plant

Agave chrysantha might be often known as the golden flowered century plant. This evergreen agave alternative varieties an ideal rosette made up of grey-green leaves. The sword-shaped leaves develop in a mound, giving it a pleasant spherical contour. The leaves are lined with spines alongside the sides and have a pointy terminal backbone. 

It requires full photograph voltaic and well-drained soil. It’s each drought and deer-resistant. Its mature dimension is 2 to a few toes tall and 4 to 5 toes broad. 

Harvard

Agave havardiana might be often known as ‘Harvard’ agave. It has fairly silver-gray foliage with fleshy and broad, cupped leaves. The leaves are intently lined with darkish brown enamel and topped with a extraordinarily sharp black terminal backbone. 

This alternative is terribly chilly hardy and shall be floor open air in USDA rising zones 5-10. It could presumably resist temperatures as little as -20 ranges Fahrenheit (-29 ranges Celsius)! Though it will address the chilly, it requires a full-sun location, considerably all through the winter months. Shield that in concepts when deciding in your planting web site, because of the photograph voltaic shall be decrease all through the sky within the midst of the winter. It has a mature dimension of two to a few toes tall and three to 4 toes broad. 

Mountain Agave

Agave montana, or mountain agave, is one totally different alternative that resembles an enormous artichoke. It has fleshy, broad, upright, apple-green leaves with massive cinnamon-red enamel alongside the margins and a fast terminal backbone. This solitary agave wouldn’t produce offshoots or pups as many alternative agaves do. 

Mountain agave shall be grown in USDA rising zones 7-10 and resist temperatures as little as 10 ranges Fahrenheit (-12 ranges Celsius). It could presumably survive in full photograph voltaic to partial shade situations. Its mature dimension is three to 4 toes tall and 4 to 5 toes broad. 

Slim Leaf Century Plant

Agave striata might be often known as the narrow-leaf century plant. And for good goal! This alternative has extended, slender foliage that’s gray-green with a brown terminal backbone. The leaves shall be upright or curve upwards barely.

The foliage can even present slight purple tones all by chilly native climate. This alternative produces plentiful pups and offshoots, so that you just simply’ll have the ability to propagate many crops in case you occur to fall in love with it in your panorama. 

This alternative shall be grown in USDA rising zones 7-11 and resist temperatures as little as 10 ranges Fahrenheit (-12 ranges Celsius). It requires a full photograph voltaic location to confirm a healthful and long-lived plant. Its mature dimension is one to 2 toes tall and two to a few toes broad.   

Whale’s Tongue

Agave ovatifolia may very well be often often known as whale’s tongue agave. The leaves are broad, cup-shaped, and vary in coloration from grey to powdery blue, identical to a whale’s tongue! The leaves are lined with enamel alongside the margins and a tall terminal backbone. 

Whale tongue agave shall be grown in USDA rising zones 7-11 and resist temperatures as little as 10 ranges Fahrenheit (-21 ranges Celsius). It requires full photograph voltaic to thrive. Its mature dimension is three to 4 toes tall and 4 to 6 toes broad. 

Cabbage Head  

Agave parrasana, or cabbage head agave, resembles a head of cabbage, as its title would counsel. This award-winning agave is slow-growing and varieties a densely packed rosette of overlapping blue-gray leaves. It’s a winner of the Award of Yard Revenue given by the Royal Horticultural Society.  

Cabbage head agave shall be grown in USDA rising zones 7-11 and resist temperatures as little as 10 ranges Fahrenheit (-21 ranges Celsius). It requires full photograph voltaic and prefers barely acidic, sandy soil. Its mature dimension is one to 2 toes tall and broad. Nonetheless, this small plant can produce a flower stalk as loads as 20 toes tall! 

Queen Victoria Century Plant

Agave victoriae-reginae, moreover often known as the ‘Queen Victoria’ century plant, is a show-stopper of agave in your outdoors landscaping. We talked about its compact alternative above as a terrific indoor yard addition, and the full-grown alternative is solely as stunning. It has the an an identical darkish inexperienced leaves with vibrant white markings. Furthermore it is a winner of the Award of Yard Revenue. 

This alternative shall be grown in USDA rising zones 7-11 and resist temperatures as little as 10 ranges Fahrenheit (-21 ranges Celsius). It requires full photograph voltaic to provide top-of-the-line and most beautiful leaves. Its mature dimension is one foot tall and one to 2 toes broad.