Other Names:  Century Plant

Description:

An appealing variety producing a dense rosette of broad, cupped, gracefully arching lime-green leaves; generally smaller when grown in containers; infrequent flower spikes soar upward after at least ten years; a great accent plant

Ornamental Features

Shafer's Agave features bold spikes of chartreuse cup-shaped flowers rising above the foliage in mid summer. It has attractive lime green foliage with hints of powder blue. The succulent pointy leaves are highly ornamental and remain lime green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Shafer's Agave is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its strikingly bold and coarse texture can be very effective in a balanced landscape composition.

This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and usually looks its best without pruning, although it will tolerate pruning. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Suckering
• Spiny

Shafer's Agave is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Shafer's Agave will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity extending to 10 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 5 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years.

This shrub should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in poor soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by multiplication of the underground bulbs.

Shafer's Agave makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.