Agave attenuata

Agave attenuata, known as the swan neck agave or foxtail agave, is a small Mexican species of agave that charms with its striking rosette of tender blue-green leaves and its spectacular flowering on high, curved stems of yellow-green flowers. Unlike other agaves, this species flowers every year from April to June, after just a few years of cultivation. At maturity its soft, brittle, and spineless leaf rosette is carried by a short and thick trunk, about 10cm (4in) tall. Frost-sensitive, it can only be grown outside in hot regions. Elsewhere, it should be grown in containers or pots to be stored during winter. A perennial of arid and warm environments, plant it in very well-drained, light soil, in full sun.

Native to mountains between 1,900 and 2,500m (6234 and 8202ft) above sea level, in central Mexico, Agave attenuata is primarily a botanical species adapted to mountainous and semi-desert climates. Despite this, it is hardy only up to -1°C (30.2°F). It belongs to the Asparagaceae family (formerly Agavaceae), just like yuccas or tuberoses. This succulent herbaceous perennial plant has rhizomes capable of producing suckers, but it is almost devoid of aerial stems. It consists of succulent triangular, narrow, elongated, fresh and bright blue-green leaves, 60cm (24in) long, tapering to points and breaking very easily. Its margins do not bear spines. Its flowering occurs from April to June and consists of large yellow-green flower spikes, 1.5 to 4m (5ft to 13ft) long, similar to eremurus inflorescences but curved like a swan neck. It is the only agave species known as polycarpous, flowering multiple times in its life, unlike others that die after a single flowering.

In mild climates, this agave will find its place in a large rockery, a dry slope, or in an elevated bed whose soil has been enriched with gravel or coarse sand. It can be planted with frost-resistant prickly pears like Opuntia humifusa 'Millevaches', giant fennel, fairly hardy candle cacti (Cleistocactus strausii, Cylindropuntia imbricata), and ground-cover plants like dwarf mugworts, Rhodanthemum, and Ajania pacifica, which are all equally undemanding. Gardeners in colder regions can plant it in full sun in a very large pot on a terrace, carefully choosing the most sheltered spot.

Agave is an edible plant, from which mescal, an alcoholic beverage obtained by fermenting its sugar-rich juice, is made in Mexico. It is also used in traditional medicine in Mexico, Brazil, and India, and has proven antifungal properties. Its inflorescences are highly attractive to many pollinating insects.