Scientific Name
Other Names
Life Form
Family
Food- Agave syrup/nectar used as sugar alternative. Agave i used to make tequila. If the flower stem is cut without flowering, a sweet liquid called a "honey water" gathers in the heart of the plant. This may be fermented to produce the drink called pulque. Medicinal- Natural antiseptic for wound healing and burn treatment. Industrial- The plant's sap has been used to create a natural soap due to its saponins, which produce a lather when mixed with water.
USA, Mexico
Thrives in warm, arid climates with well-drained soil, can tolerate drought and full sun exposure.
It is succulent with a rosette-shaped growth pattern forms a wide spreading clump of thick spiky leave up to 400 cm in width creating a dramatic focal point.
Stem is short and inconspicuous, usually hidden beneath the base of the leaves, provides support for the massive rosette of leaves.
Leaves are usually 30-40 or more, in a massive basal rosette, gray-green, up to 183 cm, with sharp spines along the margins and a heavy spike at the tip.
Flowers are a rare sight only happening once after many years of growth. When flowering, a tall stalk emerges from the center, reaching up to 760 cm in height. The stalk bears a cyme (cluster) of large, yellow flowers. The plant dies after flowering, but suckers ensure its survival.
Fruit is capsule that contain small, black seeds.
Flowering: blooms only once, after about 10 years in warm climates in June