Rootbound Agave

[lucky1]

Wayyyyyy too long in its 5gallon pot:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8091852362/" title="011 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8470/8091 ... 7216_c.jpg" width="600" height="800" alt="011"></a>

Did you notice a little green thingy poking out of the drain hole?
Here's what it was, growing DOWN from the top:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8091840873/" title="016 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8050/8091 ... 0972_c.jpg" width="800" height="600" alt="016"></a>

And a couple more nice pups:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8091842779/" title="014 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8043/8091 ... b62c_c.jpg" width="600" height="800" alt="014"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8091830513/" title="013 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8045/8091 ... 14a6_c.jpg" width="600" height="800" alt="013"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8091838304/" title="017 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8187/8091 ... 0b5c_c.jpg" width="600" height="800" alt="017"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8091845166/" title="018 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8334/8091 ... 2191_c.jpg" width="800" height="600" alt="018"></a>

I know...I know...now I've got to protect them!

Barb

EDIT; here's a closeup.
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8091835513/" title="020 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8195/8091 ... 0a61_c.jpg" width="800" height="600" alt="020"></a>

[andym]

Yeah Agave roots grow like mad. When I put the four inch posts in for my Yucca border I had to put one post between two Agaves I had planted three months earlier
Yup they grow quickly.
I dont recognise the Agave? It doesn't look like an Agave Go on Barb put me out of my misery.

[lucky1]

put me out of my misery

Re your fence spacing...where's the next hole?

It hurts like an agave.

Haven't a clue what it's called, Andy.

OK, folks, what the heck is it?

Barb

[DesertZone]

OK, folks, what the heck is it?

Barb

furcraea?

[igor.glukhovtsev]

The left one looks like A.parryi variety to me. The left one- Americana

[andym]

Hi Igor ... my Agaves are to the left Parryi and to the right Ovatifolia. We were querying what the variegated looking plant was that Barb possessed.
Barb... heres where all my posts are

[igor.glukhovtsev]

Ups! I didn't see that... Sorry, too much work, got tired...

[lucky1]

Ah, yes, Andy now I remember what you were building.
A great structure!

Hey Igor, that's OK...we (moi) do tend to ramble.

Re mine...it might be a Furcraea as Aaron suggests.
Or an Agave Sissilana because of its deadly terminal spine? from here: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1315/

Barb

[DesertZone]

Did you notice a little green thingy poking out of the drain hole?
Here's what it was, growing DOWN from the top:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8091840873/" title="016 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8050/8091 ... 0972_c.jpg" width="800" height="600" alt="016"></a>

That is what agave pups look like. Yucca pups look more like roots.

[hardyjim]

Thats a beautiful plant Barb

[TimMAz6]

I agree Barb..........that root sure looks Agave-ish to me. However, the leaves/plant sure looks more like Yucca. Great plant.......still no clue.

[lucky1]

After a bit more digging (on the net), it could be a furcraea like Aaron suggests.

Or an Agave Sissilana/sisalana (spelling?)

http://isagave.e-monsite.com/album/agaves-variegata/

[lucky1]

Just got this reply to ID from Plant Delights:

Plant Delights Nursery, Inc. wrote: "Looks like typical Agave sisaliana to me...a nice plant!"

Yippeeeee!

Barb

[hardyjim]

Looks like a Yucca to me,just about every Agave I have seen has thick sheathes were the leaf attaches to the trunk.


Looks like possibly a form of Y.gloriosa...Y.gloriosa "Tiny star"

[lucky1]

Yeah, quite a toss-up of opinion.

But this did it for me before PDN replied:

"Agave sisilana is commonly grown as a medio-variegated plant that has excellent sun hardiness. It's cold hardiness seems to be nearly as good as the normal form (neither which are too impressive for Agaves, though, getting damaged in the high 20s if the frosts/freezes are extended). These variegated plants grow significantly slower and stay smaller than the normal forms of this plant, and are much slower to offset (if at all). These are nice agaves to prune as they have no marginal teeth to speak of (but careful of the deadly sharp and long terminal spine!)."

From here, near bottom of page: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1315/

Plus Aaron said that weird downward-growing pup resembles what Agave pups look like:

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/southslope/8091840873/" title="016 by edible_plum, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8050/8091 ... 0972_c.jpg" width="800" height="600" alt="016"></a>

Yucca pups don't have roots like that.

Barb

[TimMAz6]

Hi Barb,

I posted a couple photos on the German Yucca board and they too didn't come up with an answer. Here's a couple opinions which seems like everyone else has stated.

Furcraea foetida 'Mediopicta'

http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plant ... ant_id=660

or Agave sisalana variegata

I did a Google image search for both and I'm not sure if it's any of those.......seems confusing.

Get it to bloom and we'll ID it for sure!

[lucky1]

Tim, thanks for doing that.
Appreciate it.

seems confusing. Get it to bloom and we'll ID it for sure! icon_razz.gif

Would love to see a 25 foot tall spike
Doubt it'll ever do that, but glad I put it in a huge ceramic pot.
Its winter home will be in the cold building.
Thrilled with the 2 pups too.

Barb