Agave americana, an interesting xero-garden plant

American agave

El American agave, better known as pita or yellow agave, is one of the plants that best resists drought. So much so that, although during the first year that it is planted in the ground it will have to be watered at least once a week, from the second the irrigation will no longer be so necessary. In addition, it supports light frosts, and high temperatures, so it can be had in hot and dry xero-gardens without problems.

But is this plant not cared for? The reality is that it is not very necessary. It is a type of agave that grows in many types of soils, even those that have been eroded. Get to know him more deeply.

Key features

Agave Americana mediopicta

Agave americana 'Marginata'

Our protagonist is a perennial plant native to Mexico that belongs to the botanical family Agavaceae. It has no trunk, so it grows from the ground. The leaves are large, being about 1m high, lanceolate, fleshy, bluish-white or greyish-white. On the edges they have thorns almost 2cm long, very sharp and fine. Bloom once in your life and dies when its seeds have matured. By then it will also have produced numerous suckers.

This is a very adaptable plant that has been able to naturalize even on the Mediterranean coasts. Its success is mainly due to the fact that you only need two things: a lot of sun and little water. Of course, if it is watered regularly 3-4 days, it will grow faster, although it withstands drought well.

Uses of Agave americana

American agave

In addition to being an ornamental plant, one of its best known uses is the production of Mezcal, which is a distilled liquor of which there are many varieties, of which the best known is tequila. In addition, a fiber is also extracted from its leaves that is used to produce rope or nets.

What did you think of the American agave?


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