Often mentioned as “the King of Agaves”, these elegant plants form short, round tight rosettes of green and white. The leaves are triangular or more precisely, deltoid in shape, wide at their base, tapering to a short, black terminal spine, but the leaf edges are smooth and white in color. It is these leaf margins that leave the distinctive white, linear crisscrossed bud imprints on leaf surfaces, looking as though a yeoman actually painted each leaf by hand for the king himself. These Agaves are related to the Queen Victoria Agave and many variations exist, but with the onset and technology of tissue cultured clones we can all expect the finest selections will prevail. Despite their noble appearances, these are tough, and durable plants. They perform very well in filtered light but they will tolerate full sun, with some acclimation to hottest western exposures. Provide them with well-drained soils, as with other Agaves.

These Agaves have spread to tropical countries across the world as a popular fiber commodity. They occur naturally in southern Mexico where they live free from frost and get ample natural rainfall. These are large sized plants with distinctive narrow, straight lance-shaped leaves typically dark green to deep gray-green with short, sharp terminal spine and tiny serrated marginal teeth. These are free suckering plants with one larger mother plant with numerous pups of various sizes around her base. Bloom stalks are impressively tall at 15-20 ft. tall with widely spaced branched clustered blooms. They tolerate heat with no issues, they require good drainage and will be happiest with regular supplemental irrigation, especially during warmer months of the year. Give them space to grow and spread, but they pair well with any desert trees or other large-scale cacti or accent plants.

This Agave has soft, unarmed blue green leaves with a flame-like appearance from which its common name was derived. It is a luscious looking clump forming or groundcover type hybrid Agave. Individual plants grow at a moderate rate to 2-3 ft. high & wide, but as they age, they will continue to multiply to form groups that can spread 4-8 ft. in width. They are great for use at poolside, water features and patios where you want to maintain a soft, invitingly cool, tropical appeal. Minimal maintenance, but they prefer regular supplemental water through the first summer or two. As with other Agaves, well-drained soil is a must.