Black-spined agave facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black-spined agave |
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List of synonyms
Agave flavescens var. macroacantha (Zuccarini) Jacobi 1864
Agave flavescens var. macroacantha (Herbert) Jacobi 1865 Agave pugioniformis Zucc. 1832 Agave flavescens Salm-Dyck 1834 Agave macracantha Herbert 1837 (nom. inval.) Agave besseriana Van Houtte 1868 Agave subfalcata Jacobi 1869 Agave macrantha Jacobi 1869 (nom. inval) Agave besseriana candida Jacobi 1870 (nom. inval) Agave besseriana longifolia glauca Jacobi 1870 (nom. inval) Agave besseriana longifolia viridis Jacobi 1870 (nom. inval) Agave besseriana hystix hort ex Hooker 1871 Agave linearis Jacobi 1871 Agave oligophylla Backer 1877 Agave sudburyensis Backer 1877 Agave paucifolia Backer 1878 (Nom. illeg.) Agave integrifolia Backer 1888 Agave macracantha var. integrifolia Trelease 1907 Agave macracantha var. planifolia A. Berger 1915 Agave pugioniformis Zucc. 1833 |
The Agave macroacantha is a cool plant often called the black-spined agave or large-thorned agave. It's a type of succulent flowering plant that belongs to the Asparagaceae family. You can find it growing naturally in Oaxaca and near the town of Tehuacan in Puebla, Mexico.
What Does It Look Like?
The Agave macroacantha grows a medium-sized group of leaves called a rosette. This rosette can grow right from the ground or on a very short stem. Its leaves are thick and fleshy, which means they are succulent. They have a grey-green color and can grow up to about 1.8 feet (55 cm) long. Each leaf ends with a sharp, black spine that can be up to 1.2 inches (3 cm) long.
When it flowers, it produces small, grey and red blooms. These flowers grow in bunches on strong stems that can reach up to 10 feet (3 meters) tall!
How to Grow This Plant
If you want to grow an Agave macroacantha, it likes a sunny, dry, and hot spot during the summer. As autumn starts, it prefers a cooler place that still gets plenty of light.
- Watering: In summer, give it regular water. In winter, it needs very little water.
- Potting: It grows well in a large pot.
- Soil: It likes soil that is not too rich and has lots of gravel.
In the United Kingdom, this plant is so well-liked that it has received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. This award means it's a great plant for gardens!
See also
In Spanish: Agave macroacantha para niños
