Agave Americana Dark Green or Century Plant

The Century Plant, scientifically known as Agave americana, is a dramatic, spiky succulent famous for blooming once at the end of its life—typically after 10 to 30 years, not a century.

Here’s a deeper look into this fascinating plant:

🌵 Overview of the Century Plant

• Scientific Name: Agave americana

• Common Names: Century Plant, American Aloe, Maguey

• Native Range: Mexico and the southern United States, especially Texas

🌼 Unique Flowering Habit

• Monocarpic Nature: It blooms only once in its lifetime, producing a towering flower stalk up to 30 feet tall.

• Bloom Time: Despite its name, it typically flowers between 10 to 30 years of age.

• Post-Bloom: After flowering, the main plant dies, but it often produces offsets (pups) around its base

🌿 Physical Characteristics

• Size: Leaves can reach up to 6 feet long; the plant can span 6–10 feet wide.

• Leaves: Thick, blue-green to gray-green with sharp spines along the edges and a formidable tip.

• Form: Grows in a rosette pattern, creating a bold architectural presence

🌞 Growing Conditions

• Climate: Thrives in arid, semi-arid, and drought-prone regions.

• Hardiness Zones: USDA zones 8–11; tolerates temperatures down to about -6°C (20°F).

• Care: Minimal maintenance; prefers full sun and well-drained soil

🪴 Uses and Cultural Significance

• Ornamental: Popular in xeriscaping and desert-style gardens.

• Traditional Uses: Its sap is fermented to make pulque, a traditional Mexican alcoholic beverage. Fibers from the leaves were historically used for making ropes

Agave Americana

Agave americana "Century plant" has no stem. Its thick and massive gray-green leaves originate from a basal rosette. The leaves get up to 6' long and 10" wide, and have sharp spines on the margins and tips. The margin spines are recurved like fishhooks and the tip spines can be more than an inch long. The flower stalk is branched, 20-40' tall, and bears large (3-4") yellow-green flowers. Popular cultivars are 'Marginata' with yellow margins on the leaves, 'Mediopicta' with a broad yellow band down the center of each leaf, and 'Striata' with stripes. Deliverable

• Healthy plant in its pot with premium soil
• All the tips and tricks for expert-level care
• Safe arrival guaranteed