Agave parryi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Parry's agave |
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Agave parryi, also known as Parry's agave or mescal agave, is a cool flowering plant. It belongs to the Asparagaceae family. This plant is a succulent, which means it stores water in its thick leaves. It grows slowly and lives for many years. You can find it naturally in Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico.
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What Does Parry's Agave Look Like?
Parry's agave has grey-green leaves. Each leaf has a sharp spine at its tip. A special thing about this plant is that the tip of its leaves is often darker than the rest of the leaf. These tips can be dark tan, brown, or black. You might also see marks on the back of the leaves. These marks are from where older leaves used to be. One type, called the Huachuca agave, grows in a round shape. This shape is called a rosette. It can grow to be about 2.5 feet (76 cm) wide.
Growing Parry's Agave
Parry's agave is a great plant for gardens. Especially in desert areas. It doesn't need much water. It also doesn't need a lot of care. This plant loves lots of sunshine. It can handle cold weather too. It can survive temperatures down to about -5°F (-21°C). Some people have even seen it survive -20°F (-29°C)!
This agave stays green all year round. When an agave plant gets old, it grows a tall stalk. This stalk can be up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) high. Bright yellow flowers bloom on this stalk. After it blooms, the plant uses all its energy for the flowers and seeds. Then, the main plant dies. But new plants can grow from its seeds or from small shoots. These shoots grow from the base of the old plant.
Parry's agave has won an award. It received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. This award means it is a great plant for gardens.
Types of Parry's Agave
There are different types, or varieties, of Parry's agave. Each one has slightly different features.
Main Varieties
- Agave parryi var. huachucensis: This is known as Huachuca agave.
- Agave parryi var. truncata: This type is called Mescal agave.
- Agave parryi var. couseii
Subspecies
Scientists also group them into subspecies. These are smaller groups within the main species.
- Agave parryi subsp. parryi
- Agave parryi subsp. neomexicana (Wooton & Standl.) B.Ullrich
See also
In Spanish: Agave parryi para niños
