Agave potatorum Kichiokan - Verschaffelt Agave

The Agave potatorum 'Kichiokan' is a horticultural variety with a compact size and a variable appearance depending on the subjects. Well adapted to the Mediterranean climate, this perennial plant forms a sculptural rosette. With a grey-blue colour in adulthood, its regular geometric shape is particularly aesthetic, especially as its dark red thorns create a superb contrast. Highly drought-resistant, this Agave can be grown in a pot in most parts of France and brought indoors in winter to protect it from frost and humidity. On the Mediterranean coast, it will integrate perfectly into a succulent bed and will tolerate a semi-shaded exposure quite well.

The Agave, once a flagship member of the Agavaceae family, is now classified in the Asparagaceae family, alongside the astonishing Ophiopogon or the well-known Cordyline. The Agave genus is rich with approximately 270 species, some almost dwarf-like, and others measuring several meters in width and height. The Agave potatorum is native to the mountainous areas of central-southern Mexico (states of Puebla and Oaxaca), where it grows at altitudes ranging from 1300 to 2300 m. Not exceeding 80 cm in diameter, it often presents a quite variable appearance from one plant to another, making it difficult to identify with certainty.
'Kichiokan' is probably a Japanese cultivar of the species type, but some specialists rather see it as a form of Agave parryi. Like the species type, its morphology varies significantly from one subject to another, with some even having variegated leaves. In any case, its growth is slow, and its adult dimensions remain smaller than those of the botanical species. After many years, it will reach a diameter of 45 cm and a height of 40 cm, rarely more. The plant forms an extremely geometric rosette, composed of imbricate leaves at the center, erect vertically, then gradually opening horizontally. The juvenile leaves are elongated like swords, but as the rosette densifies, their morphology evolves, as does their colour. Initially green (variable depending on individuals), the leaf turns to a grey-blue or glaucous green. It also takes on a characteristic shape. Narrow at the base, it widens towards the top then abruptly narrows, forming a sharp V at the end. Its overall appearance is that of a very asymmetrical diamond, curved in the center like a large spoon, with both edges meeting and ending in a sharp point, 2 cm long or more, hazardous for hands and eyes. Besides this dark reddish-brown tip, the leaf is also armed with curved teeth of about 0.5 to 1.5 cm, equally harmful if handled without gloves. The colour of the teeth contrasts pleasantly with the glaucous leaf surface, adding an ornamental feature to this Agave, whose geometric regularity is fascinating. Mature plants can bloom (often after 15 or even 20 years), producing a tall and spectacular flower spike of 2 or 3 m in height, bearing numerous horizontal branches. These are adorned with a multitude of small tubular flowers in yellow-green. The rosette, classified as semelparous, dies after flowering, which lasts several months. Some plants produce a few daughter rosettes on their trunk, just below the mother rosette.

Easy to grow in a pot to enjoy in cooler climates and bring indoors in winter, the Agave potatorum 'Kichiokan' will find its place even in the smallest gardens on the Mediterranean coast. Create a superb scene by combining it with other ornamental plants for dry soils, such as Hesperaloe parviflora, or "Red Yucca". In reality, this perennial from the same family as the Agaves forms a clump of very fine leaves, above which elegant coral-red flower spikes develop in summer. Also explore the wide range of Opuntia, the famous Prickly Pear cacti with ephemeral but magically beautiful flowers, whose very graphic shapes will blend perfectly with that of your small Agave.