Dasylirion lucidum - Sotol

The Dasylirion lucidum distinguishes itself from others by its ability to produce several large rosettes of leaves on a spreading trunk, making it one of the most unique species, and a plant with remarkable design in a minimalist garden. Its long succulent leaves, thin, of a vibrant green, smooth and shiny, are also less spiny than those of its relatives. A trendy plant on terraces and in contemporary urban gardens bathed in sun and decorative all year round, this graceful cousin of agaves is content with little, perfectly resistant to lack of water but also to cold as long as it is planted in soil that does not retain water. With its large rosettes of leaves and spectacular flowers, Dasylirion is essential in dry, exotic, and desert-like gardens.

Originally from the mountains of central Mexico, the Dasylirion lucidum is still quite rare in cultivation, and its resistance to cold is not well evaluated. It seems that this species can survive short frosts of around -14°C (6.8 °F) in very dry soil. Like all Dasylirions, this succulent plant tolerates long periods of summer drought and is indifferent to the presence of limestone. The epithet 'lucidum' refers to the shiny aspect of its foliage.

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 forms a false trunk, partially underground, capable of branching at the base. The trunk is covered with remnants of old leaves, brown in colour, forming a sort of skirt that can be pruned to highlight it. This trunk often ends up lying down, without stopping growing. It carries one to several spherical crowns, 1m (3 ft 4 in) to 1.50m (4 ft 11 in) wide. Each one is composed of several hundred succulent radiant leaves, more or less linear, in a gutter shape, bordered by a few short teeth. The leaves are rigid and spring green in colour. Flowering occurs after 10 to 15 years of cultivation, in summer. A thin erect floral stem emerges from the centre of the rosette, reaching 2m (6 ft 7 in) or 2.50m, among the leaves. The tiny cream-white bell-shaped flowers are tightly packed together in the upper part of the floral stem which remain on the plant, often until winter. Male plants are distinct from female plants. When watered during summer, this Dasylirion shows spectacular growth. It's important to choose a suitable spot for this plant and avoid moving it around too much. The plant's root system is delicate and doesn't tolerate transplantation well. Unlike agave, dasylirion is not a one-time bloomer. The rosette won't die after flowering. Instead, a lateral bud located on the main axis of the plant will take over.

The Dasylirion lucidum is a succulent plant a thousand times more graceful than a yucca, to be showcased on a terrace or in a dry garden. Superb in a large pot with simple shapes, it is perfect in a minimalist composition. Give it plenty of sun and soil that does not retain water, as it fears heavy and humid soils in winter. It will therefore find its place on a large arid slope, at the top of a large exotic or arid rock garden, or even near a swimming pool if the soil is well prepared to accommodate it. To dress its base, consider, for example, a carpet of cérastium or silver basket, Cerastostigma plumbaginoides, Delosperma or even a short grass meadow called Zoyzia tenuifolia, the Mascarene grass. It can also be associated with agaves, prickly pears, Hesperaloe parviflora, and tree-like aloes, which are equally spectacular and frugal.