Following on Pam’s Woody lilies love the heat and Danger Garden’s (what a sexy garden blog name!)
agave post here’s mine. I love agaves for their architectural lines and also because they are perfectly suited to the hot, dry island I live on. They offer so much drama for minimal care.
Most Caribbean islanders don’t appreciate agaves-this works both ways for me. Agaves are hardly ever offered for sale here so finding different varieties is challenging, but whenever you see any agaves (say in someone’s yard) they are usually more than happy for you to take them.
The first pic is of Agave desmettiana ‘Variegata’ with its lovely urn shape-and one of the few offered for sale.
The candy coloured teeth of bovicornuta and the red margins of blue glow, both of which I got at the fabulous Flora Grubb Gardens
The "girly" attenuata. Lovely and no sharp spikes or teeth at all.
Lophanta by contrast I think is my most dangerous agave. This is another one people admire when they see it in my garden.
"The artichoke" Agave victoriae-reginae
I think this one is Agave neglecta. Used to be very common in the coral islands but now these are scarce in gardens. They seem to still be popular in Barbados and Antigua.
Filifera I guess
I pulled this up as a small pup from a friend's yard-it may be a hybrid, I can't identify it and haven't seen any others like it.
Textural: my agave sisalina bloomstalk (next to organ pipe cactus)
6 comments:
Love 'em all.
You have got a very nice Agave selection. I am an Agave and Aloe fan. I like them all, but the one with the "cotton threads"caught my eye. I have a few small ones and will make a post of them later on.
Great collection, Nicole. I recently passed up buying a little bovicornuta, and I already regret it. But the one I really want and can't overwinter, except indoors, is A. attenuata. So lovely!
WOW Nicole you have a super collection! I have never seen the Lophanta before and now I HAVE to have one. It's gorgeous. You are lucky to be a smart admirer among the non-inspired! They are "happy to have you take them"? How wonderful for you! Thank you for posting your pics!
what a collection! LOVE!
I am thinking that MAYBE the unknown agave is neomexicana ... not sure, but the slender leaves and elegant black fingernails look right.
I have to say, I am very surprised at how under-used agaves are through the Carribean and Central America! Most agaves are native to Mexico, but actually finding a supplier for them is close to impossible, so I sympathize with your plight.
Beautiful images!
These are so beautiful! I heard that they used agave to keep prisoners from escaping certain island prisons. Are they not also the basis for tequila? What's not to like about that! ;)
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