Why develop agave? Efficiently, these low-maintenance crops can add magnificence with their enticing foliage in each your indoor houseplant assortment and your out of doors landscaping. Plus, most varieties will flower a minimal of as rapidly as of their lifetime. Rising each indoors and open air has its execs and cons. 

For rising indoors, you’ll wish to pick small, compact varieties that do correctly in containers. You acquired’t want to present any consideration to your rising zone or native local weather on account of indoors, likelihood is you will create the exact 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 a lot. Because you don’t must embody the crops in a pot, likelihood is you will select varieties with numerous mature sizes. Some can attain as quite a bit as 10 toes tall and broad when grown open air. For out of doors crops, you’ll want to think about your USDA rising zone and whether or not or not or not or not it might get too chilly for these out of doors 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, nonetheless they aren’t quick on magnificence. Every selection has its personal distinctive foliage, and so they additionally’re totally fitted to life on a windowsill.

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

When rising indoors, you may wish to select a container with a drainage gap, nonetheless ditch the saucer as you don’t should create any standing water. Overly moist soil will in all probability be detrimental. And whereas these varieties are good for indoors, likelihood is 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 enticing darkish blue-green leaves with yellow and purple margins. These margins seemingly glow when backlit by the picture voltaic, thus the title ‘Blue Glow’. 

Full picture voltaic is finest for this selection, nonetheless it will furthermore maintain dappled daylight. Its mature dimension is 2 to some 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 selection is native to Central Mexico, which makes it terribly drought-tolerant and low-maintenance. 

It does finest in full picture voltaic, which can in all probability be supplied indoors by utilizing mirrored daylight as correctly. You may create mirrored gentle by utilizing 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 finest in full picture voltaic, which, as talked about above, will in all probability be supplied indoors by utilizing 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 selection is native to central Mexico. 

It requires full picture 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. A lot in order that it was as rapidly as thought that it was a naturally occurring hybrid of Agave victoriae-reginae, nonetheless it completely has since been acknowledged as its present selection.

Furthermore it is acknowledged sometimes as King of The Agaves. This selection has darkish inexperienced leaves, white margins, and sharp terminal options. It grows in an open rosette, which seems to be stunning in a container. It requires full picture voltaic and needs 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 selection at desert botanical gardens. It is among the many many most stunning agaves.

It has darkish inexperienced leaves and vibrant white markings. Very just like the above-mentioned ‘King Ferdinand’, nonetheless with far more distinction. It requires full picture 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 choosing an agave option to develop open air, you’ll want to think about your USDA rising zone. Correct proper right here, we’ll embody that data with every selection so as that you’d resolve if it might develop open air in your space. The rising zone signifies the frequent low temperature in your space. That is important to know for multi-annual crops like agave since they are going to be spending the winter out of doors. 

Agaves are native to the Southern United States, Central Mexico, the Caribbean, and components of South America. For that trigger, they develop finest in Southwest and Mediterranean climates, nonetheless 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 might set off harm and plant lack of life. 

Golden Flowered Century Plant

Agave chrysantha will be often called the golden flowered century plant. This evergreen agave selection kinds a wonderful rosette made up of grey-green leaves. The sword-shaped leaves develop in a mound, giving it a delightful spherical contour. The leaves are lined with spines alongside the perimeters and have a pointy terminal backbone. 

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

Harvard

Agave havardiana will be often called ‘Harvard’ agave. It has stunning 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 selection is terribly chilly hardy and can in all probability be floor open air in USDA rising zones 5-10. It might in all probability resist temperatures as little as -20 ranges Fahrenheit (-29 ranges Celsius)! Though it will maintain the chilly, it requires a full-sun location, considerably all through the winter months. Shield that in concepts when selecting your planting web site on-line, on account of the picture voltaic shall be decrease all through the sky within the midst of the winter. It has a mature dimension of two to some toes tall and three to 4 toes broad. 

Mountain Agave

Agave montana, or mountain agave, is one totally different selection 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 various agaves do. 

Mountain agave will in all probability be grown in USDA rising zones 7-10 and resist temperatures as little as 10 ranges Fahrenheit (-12 ranges Celsius). It might in all probability survive in full picture 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 will be often called the narrow-leaf century plant. And for good aim! This selection has extended, slender foliage that’s gray-green with a brown terminal backbone. The leaves will in all probability be upright or curve upwards barely.

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

This selection will in all probability be grown in USDA rising zones 7-11 and resist temperatures as little as 10 ranges Fahrenheit (-12 ranges Celsius). It requires a full picture voltaic location to make sure a healthful and long-lived plant. Its mature dimension is one to 2 toes tall and two to some toes broad.   

Whale’s Tongue

Agave ovatifolia could also be sometimes often called whale’s tongue agave. The leaves are broad, cup-shaped, and fluctuate in coloration from grey to powdery blue, similar to a whale’s tongue! The leaves are lined with enamel alongside the margins and a tall terminal backbone. 

Whale tongue agave will in all probability be grown in USDA rising zones 7-11 and resist temperatures as little as 10 ranges Fahrenheit (-21 ranges Celsius). It requires full picture 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 sorts 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 will in all probability be grown in USDA rising zones 7-11 and resist temperatures as little as 10 ranges Fahrenheit (-21 ranges Celsius). It requires full picture 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 quite a bit as 20 toes tall! 

Queen Victoria Century Plant

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

This selection will in all probability be grown in USDA rising zones 7-11 and resist temperatures as little as 10 ranges Fahrenheit (-21 ranges Celsius). It requires full picture voltaic to supply among the many finest and most stunning leaves. Its mature dimension is one foot tall and one to 2 toes broad.