Agave montana
mountain agave
A rosette-forming, evergreen, perennial succulent to about 1.5m. The leaves are light greyish-green, edged and tipped with reddish spines. Plant have not been in cultivation long enough to assess flowering, but in the wild it produces huge, club-shaped inflorescences made up of tightly clustered yellow flowers on short branches supported by a scaly, 5m high trunk
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Size
Ultimate height
1–1.5 metresTime to ultimate height
10–20 yearsUltimate spread
1–1.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Well–drainedpH
AcidColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green Grey Silver | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Green Grey Silver | |||
| Autumn | Green Grey Silver | |||
| Winter | Green Grey Silver |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
West–facing or South–facing
Exposure
ShelteredDrought resistance
Yes Hardiness
H4Botanical details
- Family
- Asparagaceae
- Native to GB / Ireland
- No
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Habit
- Bushy
- Potentially harmful
- Skin irritant. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets (dogs, cats): harmful if eaten. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
- Genus
Agave can be perennial or monocarpic succulents, forming rosettes of usually rigid, fleshy, spiny-edged leaves, with funnel-shaped flowers in racemes or panicles often much taller than the rosettes
- Name status
Correct
- Plant range
- Mexico
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow under glass in cactus compost in full light. Water freely in summer, giving a low-nitrogen feed three or four times. Water less in autumn and keep dry in winter. Hardier than most agaves, and may survive outdoors in a warm position in very well-drained, slightly acid soil in full sun. See hardy cacti and succulent cultivation for further information
Propagation
Propagate by seed. Dies after flowering and does not produce offsets
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Gravel garden
- Patio and container plants
- Architectural
- City and courtyard gardens
- Sub-tropical
Pruning
No pruning required
Pests
May be susceptible to scale insects
Diseases
Generally disease-free
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