Agave parrasana
cabbage head agave
A slow-growing, rosette-forming, compact succulent to 60cm tall and wide. The short and broad, waxy, overlapping leaves are a pale blue-green with hooked teeth along the margins. After a number of years, flowers that are red in bud, but opening to yellow, are borne in panicles on sturdy stems reaching up to 6m high
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Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metresTime to ultimate height
10–20 yearsUltimate spread
0.5–1 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Well–drainedpH
Acid, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green Blue | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Yellow | Green Blue | ||
| Autumn | Green Blue | |||
| Winter | Green Blue |
Position
- Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
ShelteredDrought resistance
Yes Hardiness
H2Botanical 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
- NE 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. Can move outdoors for summer. See houseplant cacti and succulent cultivation for further information
Propagation
Propagate by seed, or remove offsets
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Architectural
- City and courtyard gardens
- Gravel garden
- Patio and container plants
- Low Maintenance
Pruning
No pruning required
Pests
May be susceptible to scale insects
Diseases
Generally disease-free
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.