Agave americana
agave americanaAlso known as Century Plant, Maguey, American Aloe, Wild Century Plant
Century plants form massive, architectural rosettes of thick, spine-tipped blue-grey leaves that can reach up to four meters across. After living for ten to thirty years, each rosette produces a single, spectacular flowering spike resembling a giant candelabra before the main plant dies. They reproduce vigorously via basal offsets, ensuring the colony survives long after the parent plant has withered.
- diet
- Photosynthetic (CAM photosynthesis)
- family
- Asparagaceae
- threats
- Habitat clearing, invasive pests like the agave snout weevil, and extreme freezes
- life Span
- 10 to 30 years
NE
Sap contains sharp calcium oxalate crystals that cause severe skin irritation; do not ingest.
The sap contains saponins and microscopic, needle-like calcium oxalate crystals that cause severe, blistering dermatitis upon skin contact and intense gastrointestinal pain if ingested.
Never cut or prune without heavy gloves and long sleeves, and wash any skin exposed to sap immediately with soap and water.- Keep your distance: The sharp terminal spines can easily puncture skin and heavy clothing.
- Avoid the sap: Wear thick gloves and eye protection when pruning to prevent painful contact dermatitis.
- Watch for pups: Look around the base of mature plants to find small clonal offsets growing from the roots.