Agave stricta

Agave stricta is a very ornamental botanical species with an almost surreal geometric design. This compact Agave forms an almost perfect sphere about fifty centimetres in diameter. Its very fine leaves are a beautiful bright green, sometimes tinged with grey-blue and ending in a reddish to greyish thorn. From the age of 6 to 8 years, the plant produces in summer a flower spike over 2 m tall, covered with small red flowers. Very well-suited to drought and full sun, this Agave shows good hardiness (-12°C or less) provided it is planted in very well-draining soil.

Formerly classified within the Agavaceae, the genus Agave has been moved in modern systematics to the Asparagaceae family, where it coexists with many other genera in our gardens (Yucca, Scilla, Ruscus, etc.). Rich with several hundred species native to the American continent, Agaves form compact (12 cm) to giant (over 3 m) rosettes, either sitting on the ground or perched on a short trunk (still 3 m tall in Agave decipiens...).
Agave stricta is a wild species native to southern Mexico, where it grows naturally around the city of Tehuacan, in the state of Puebla (200 km southeast of Mexico City). This perennial plant loves dryness and heat above all, while still tolerating the cold. Growing at medium altitude, between 1300 and 1600 m, it is capable of withstanding, in very well-draining soil conditions, dry frosts of around -12° to -14°C. Resembling Agave striata, with which it should not be confused, it is even more compact since it will not exceed 50 to 60 cm in diameter. Agave stricta forms a perfect sphere, made up of 30 to 40 cm long leaves, spread out in all directions, like the spines of a hedgehog, hence its synonym Agave hystrix (hystrix meaning porcupine in Latin). The rush-like leaves have a half-moon cross-section, and their edges are micro-dentate, while their surface is heavily striped. As with most species, they are tipped with a very slender, formidable thorn measuring 1 cm, reddish then grey. Their epidermis is most often a beautiful bright green, and in some specimens, it may slightly shift towards a bluish grey. The leaves have a slight curve that enhances the visual and aesthetic impact of the rosette. Growth is quite slow and the plant produces few offsets, nevertheless over time it eventually forms a small colony of a few "hedgehogs" that allow it to cover a metre or more in width. In addition to its remarkable aesthetics, this Agave has the advantage of flowering quite young. The flower spike is spectacular, measuring 2 to 3 m tall; the upper half consists of a giant spike made up of hundreds of small reddish flowers. This natural candelabra is visible from afar and draws attention in the garden.

Easy to cultivate due to its quite adequate hardiness, the Hedgehog Agave will bring an exotic touch. Only the cold regions of the east and north will be too hostile in winter, and it will then need to be grown in a pot to be overwintered under cover. An even more compact cultivar is available, Agave stricta 'Nana'. Everywhere else, you can grow this beautiful Agave in a south-facing rockery setting, exposed to full sun in soil enriched with sand and draining materials. Pair it with other plants in the same spirit, such as Hesperaloe, nicknamed Red Yucca, with its magnificent red flowering in summer. To vary the shapes, add to your scene a specimen of Opuntia engelmanii var. rastrera, an extremely hardy "prickly pear" with admittedly ephemeral but superb flowering.