7 Agaves: the most beautiful varieties

Agave americana: the giant!

The Agave americana, commonly known as the Mexican Agave or American Agave, is instantly recognisable by its imposing silhouette, reaching heights of 4-5 m and a wide spread at maturity. It develops powerful rosettes of large, upright leaves that are stiff, succulent, and pointed, with a grey-blue colour that can measure over 2 m in length and 20 cm in width. Each leaf is edged with grey to brown thorns and ends with a sharp spine measuring 2 to 6 cm in length. This is a well-armed agave, and one should be cautious of its sharp points.

Its well-developed rosette, when the plant is placed in full sun, will be more compact in partial shade. The Agave americana is a frost-sensitive agave, hardy down to about -5 to -10°C. It can only be grown in the ground in our milder climate regions, and preferably in very large pots made of terracotta or in wooden containers, which should be stored indoors during winter, protected from severe frosts, outside the warmest regions of our country.

Ensure it has a location that accommodates its ample growth, as after a few years, it can become exuberant when planted in the ground.

In a mild climate garden, this large agave with its extravagant character creates a spectacular focal point and structures exotic and wild decor. When isolated in a large dry rockery, where it will be the centrepiece, it will fully display its potential.

Agave americana

Havard's Agave: one of the hardiest!

Unlike large, less hardy but spectacular specimens, Agave havardiana, or Harvard Agave, is one of the hardiest in the genus. It belongs to a tribe of cold-resistant agaves. This species adapts to most of our regions in open ground, provided it is planted in very well-draining, rich soil. Under these growing conditions, it will be able to withstand frosts of around -23°C, as long as it is protected from rain in winter.

It develops into a rather sparse, well-formed rosette, similar to a large cabbage, reaching 50cm in height and 70cm in diameter at ripeness. It is composed of almost flat, dentate leaves, widening at mid-height and ending in a sharp point. The leaves display a grey-blue to grey-green colour.

With its graphic silhouette, it will find its place in a large rockery, a south-facing slope, or in a very minimalist, mineral setting. As this agave has a rather modest growth, it can be cultivated in a terracotta pot on the terrace or balcony, in a light substrate such as cactus soil, which is perfectly drained.

Agave havardiana (© Megan Hansen)

→ Learn more with our advice sheet: Agave, the hardiest varieties

Agave stricta 'Nana': a perfect small specimen for pots

Agave stricta ‘Nana’ is a dwarf form reaching only 30 cm in all directions at maturity. It grows in a compact rosette, symmetrical, composed of numerous fine leaves, 25 cm long, glaucous in colour, arching upwards and pointed. They are adorned with decorative reddish-brown terminal needles that enhance its appearance of a large hedgehog!

Hardy down to -15ºC in soil free from moisture in winter, it adds a spiky character to a rockery when combined with equally undemanding ground-cover plants. Well-suited to pot cultivation due to its very modest dimensions, it brings an exotic touch to terraces and small urban gardens. This will delight gardeners in colder regions! It will easily complement a cactus collection.

→ More tips in our sheet “Growing an Agave in a Pot”

On the left, Agave stricta (© Wikimedia Commons), and on the right Agave stricta ‘Nana’

Agave victoriae-reginae, or Queen Victoria Agave: a collection agave

Agave victoriae reginae is another small specimen, not exceeding 50 cm in height and 40 cm in diameter at ripeness. However, this agave is truly a botanical curiosity. With its striking graphic appearance, it develops like a large artichoke formed of numerous crassulae leaves, light green with white margins and ending in a short black thorn. Short and triangular, imbricate with one another, they create a perfectly geometric hemispherical rosette.

Very frost-sensitive, it is hardy down to -6°C in dry soil; grow it in open ground in the south of France, while in regions with harsh winters, it should be cultivated in a very large pot to be stored indoors or in a cold greenhouse during winter. It will wonderfully complement a collection of succulent plants.

Agave victoriae reginae

Agave angustifolia 'Marginata': it combines variegation and elegance.

Here is another beautiful species of agave! ‘Marginata’ features long leaves measuring 60 cm, straight, narrow, pointed, and adorned along their length with small reddish-brown prickles. Blade-shaped, they are blue-green marginate with creamy white edges, accented with pink and orange striations at ripeness. It forms an upright rosette, very open when the plant is in full sun. This is an elegant agave that will not exceed 1 m in all directions. An elegance matched only by its great sensitivity to cold, as it will not survive frosts below -1°C. It will be an excellent choice for pot cultivation.

Agave angustifolia ‘Marginata’ (© Wendy Cutler)

Agave montana, or Mountain Agave: the hardiest

If most agaves develop bluish leaves, some, like the ’Agave montana, or Mountain Agave, stand out with strikingly bright green foliage. Its rosette blooms like a flower, forming a well-structured cup, measuring 1 m in height and 1.20 m in diameter at ripeness.

Its broad leaves, irregularly covered with white bloom, contrast with the sharp orange-copper thorns that border them. The tip of each leaf ends in a long thorn of the same hue. Be sure to keep this beautiful spiny plant away from high-traffic areas and young children! This species from the Mexican mountains displays quite exceptional frost resistance, down to -20°C, making it relatively easy to acclimatise in our gardens. It can be grown in open ground in most of our regions.

Agave montana (© Peganum)

The Americana ‘mediopicta Alba’: an astonishing cultivar

Here is another form of the Mexican Agave that stands out with its curious variegated foliage! The americana ‘mediopicta ‘Alba’ grows in a rosette composed of large dentate leaves measuring 40 cm long and 15 cm wide, bluish-grey-green marked along their entire length by a broad central white band.

Its unique graphic form and colour will stand out in a large rockery or to recreate a semi-desert landscape in the garden.

It is not very hardy, but very graphic! Outside the Orange zone, this agave must be grown in pots and brought indoors for winter as it tolerates cold down to about -10°C.

Agave americana mediopicta ‘Alba’ (© John Rusk)

For further reading

• Discover our incredible collection of agaves
• To find out everything, read our complete guide: “Agave: to plant, to grow and to maintain”