Agave chrysantha - Goldenflower century plant

Agave chrysantha, the golden agave, is one of the relatively hardy species that can add an exotic touch to gardens well beyond the Mediterranean region. It forms medium-sized, beautiful, bluish-green to greyish rosettes. The rigid leaves are adorned with red thorns and a formidable terminal thorn of the same hue. Its spectacular flowering takes the form of a branching spike adorned with a profusion of golden flowers. This flowering causes the death of the rosette, but as the species produces abundant offsets, other rosettes develop to take over. This extremely drought-resistant Agave dislikes moisture, which greatly reduces its frost resistance.

Once the flagship genus of the Agavaceae family, which owed its name to it, Agave is now classified under the Asparagaceae family, the family of asparagus, and many ornamental genera that decorate our interiors (such as Chlorophytum, spider plant) and our gardens, like Liriope. Originating from the American continent, Agaves come in hundreds of species and varieties.
Agave chrysantha is endemic to Arizona, where it is found in the mountain ranges of the central and southeastern parts of this American state, at altitudes ranging from 1000 to 1800 metres. It grows in dry, calcareous soils and can withstand frosts down to -12°C under these conditions. However, its foliage suffers quite quickly in cold, damp conditions. It forms very stiff, lanceolate leaves, with a cross-section that forms a gutter. The two edges of the leaf meet at the tip in a 4 cm long thorn, terribly sharp and hard, and formidable for both hands and eyes. The edges of the leaves are also armed with sharp thorns, often curved towards the base. These red thorns stand out against the glaucous to grey-blue foliage. Firmly pressed against each other at the centre of the rosette before opening, the epidermis of the leaves bears the marks of the adjacent leaves. The rosette commonly reaches 1.20 m, or even 1.40 m in width and 1 m in height. From the second year after planting, the species may start producing offsets at the base of the main rosette, which will eventually form a small colony if left to develop freely.
This Agave is also distinguished by its magnificent flowering. Occurring generally late, sometimes after 20 years of cultivation, it rewards patience with its grandeur and beauty. From the centre of the rosette, a spike emerges that can rise to 3 m in height. The axis branches in its upper part to bear clusters of dozens of eye-catching, bright golden-yellow flowers. It also marks the death of the rosette, but it gives life to new offsets that will form other rosettes, perpetuating the original plant.

Cultivable in many regions provided it receives enough sun and very well-drained soil, Agave chrysantha will be at home in a large south-facing rock garden, or on a slope, among other plants with equally iconic silhouettes. Plant alongside it a beautiful Opuntia, a "prickly pear" with a flowering as ephemeral as it is magnificent. Choose a cold-resistant species, and also consider Aloe striatula, a beauty as hardy as your Agave, which will reward you with a lavish orange-yellow flowering each year. To vary the forms, add, for example, a clump of Hesperaloe parvifolia, a perennial nicknamed Red Yucca, which is adorned in summer with a striking coral-red flowering.