|
|
Agave parryi var. truncata |
Description:
Agave parryi var. truncata is a small to medium
sized plant that offsets and forms clumps to 5 feet or more
across. Individual plants vary in size from 2 feet to nearly 4
feet across. This range depends on amount of water applied,
with heavily watered plants growing considerably larger.
Plants have blue-gray or light gray leaves that are up to 1
foot long by 5 inches across. Leaf margins have dark brown
teeth that are usually curved back towards the base of the
plant. The terminal spine is about 1 inch long, dark brown and
very stout. Tall, branched flower stalks grow to 15 feet to 20
feet high. Flowers are pink or red in bud, opening to golden
yellow. The flowering plant will die after blooming, however
the offsets will continue to grow.
Habitat and Distribution:
Agave parryi var. truncata is found in oak-juniper
grassland on the Sierra Papanton on the Durango-Zacatecas
border at about 7,500 feet elevation.
Culture: Agave parryi var. truncata is
tolerant of the desert soils. Plants do not require an
enriched soil, but rather one that has good drainage. This
species has a moderately slow growth rate and will take
several years to reach maturity and begin offsetting. They
will respond to consistent supplemental water during the
summer. Depending on temperature, soil type, and age of plant,
the supplemental watering may be once every 2-4 weeks. Plants
have been subjected to winter lows of about 15 degrees without
any damage and judging by where they are native, they should
be able to tolerate temperatures lower than that. They should
be hardened off in fall and kept on the dry side through
winter. Plants should be treated to prevent the Agave Weevil
from attacking.
Uses:
Agave parryi var. truncata
 |
 |
| A seed grown form of Agave parryi var. truncata in a landscape in southeastern Arizona | The Huntington clone of Agave parryi var. truncata at Huntington Botanical Gardens in Los Angeles, CA |
|
|
 |