Dasylirion leiophyllum - Sotol

The Dasylirion leiophyllum is undoubtedly the hardiest of the Dasylirion. It is recognised by its lush green foliage, which has earned it the name of Green Sotol. It has very long, tapered, glossy, succulent leaves with formidable teeth. It is a trendy, architectural plant, decorative all year round, that requires very little but makes a statement on a contemporary terrace. Its very short trunk is hidden under a large rosette of radiant, regular and graceful leaves, from which emerges in summer, after many years, a long, pendulous flower spike, adorned with small whitish bells. The Dasylirion can be grown both in the ground and in pots. It is an excellent rock garden or dry garden plant to grow in poor, rocky or sandy soil.

Originally from an area ranging from West Texas to Southwest New Mexico and southern Mexico, the Dasylirion leiophyllum is capable of withstanding temperatures of around -18°C (-0.4 °F) in very well-drained soil, or even -20°C (-4 °F) in very dry soil. It will therefore adapt to many gardens, as long as it is planted in rocky or gravelly, very well-drained soil. Like all Dasylirions, it tolerates long periods of summer drought and is indifferent to the presence of limestone.

It is a rhizomatous plant belonging to the Agave family, slow-growing in dry soil, faster in moist soil. When young, the Dasylirion forms a dense, shaggy ball. After many years, it can form a partially underground false trunk, covered with the remains of old leaves, brown in colour, forming a kind of skirt. These can be cut to highlight the trunk. The trunk often ends up lying down without stopping growing. It bears a spherical crown measuring 1m (3 ft 4 in) to 1.30m (4 ft 4 in) wide, composed of several hundred succulent, radiant leaves, flat on top but cylindrical underneath, 50 cm (19.7 in) to 1 m (3 ft 4 in) long, 1 cm (0.4 in) wide, with initially green, then yellow-orange hooked teeth. The leaves are slightly flexible and arched. Flowering occurs after 10 to 15 years of cultivation, in summer. A thin, upright flower spike emerges from the centre of the rosette at 2 m, among the leaves. The tiny cream-colored bell-shaped flowers are tightly packed together in the upper part of the flower spike which for a long time, often until winter. Male plants are distinct from female plants. When watered during the summer, this Dasylirion shows spectacular growth. When choosing a location for the plant, it's essential to be careful and avoid disturbing its fragile root system. This plant doesn't handle transplantation well, unlike the agave. It's worth noting that the dasylirion is not a monocarpic plant, meaning the rosette won't die after flowering. Instead, a lateral bud on the plant's central axis will take over.

The Dasylirion leiophyllum is an architectural succulent plant that seduces with the graceful symmetry of its foliage. Superb in a large pot with simple shapes, it is perfect in a minimalist garden. Give it plenty of sunlight and soil that does not retain water, as does not tolerate heavy, wet soil in winter. It is perfect on a large arid slope, at the top of a large exotic or contemporary rock garden, or even near a swimming pool, if the soil is well prepared to accommodate it. To cover the base, consider using a carpet of silver basket, Cerastostigma plumbaginoides, Delosperma or even a dry grass meadow like Zoyzia tenuifolia Mascarene grass. It can be paired with agaves, prickly pears, relatively hardy candle cacti such as Cleistocactus strausii and Cylindropuntia imbricata, and equally stunning and drought-tolerant bushy aloes.