Agave guiengola
Although very heat tolerant, this particular species of Agave prefers a bit of shade here in the low desert. It does not produce many leaves, and that makes it a flat, open type of Agave that will grow to about three feet tall and four feet wide. It produces offsets when young, but as it ages, offsets become fewer and fewer.
The only downside to this Agave species is that it is fairly frost tender, not faring well when the temperature dip below 25 degrees. We don't get many winter nights that low here, but all it takes is one time to cause some damage.
This plant was a tiny offset when I got it a few years ago at one of our local Cactus and Succulent Society meetings. It was on the "free" table and it included a note that it had been grown under a tree, so I thought I had the perfect spot for it. It has since been thriving in the shade of a Palo Verde tree. I really like its shape and color, so I hope it produces some offsets so I can start a few more here and there. In looking more closely at this photo, I think I've spotted a pup peeking out from one of the leaves. I'll be checking first thing in the morning!
When I originally took this Mammillaria geminispina from its pot and put in the the ground, I was a bit concerned about sun damage because this species likes full sun almost everywhere except here, where full exposure can cause serious sun damage. My original plan was to place it where it would receive light afternoon shade from a nearby tree, but soon it was obvious that dappled shade would not be enough to protect it from the intense summer sun. So, eight months of the year it thrives in full sun, and then, starting in mid-May, I cover it with 50 percent shade cloth until mid-September or so. I don't re-acclimate it to full sun in early fall--I just take off the cloth. It has never had any sun damage, probably because although it may still be hot in September, the sun's angle is lower and the rays less intense. It has tripled in size over the past two years and is clumping nicely. It has never produced flowers, but when it does, they will be sparse, small and pink. Since I don't like to go out in the sun in the summer, this cactus' ugly shade cloth cover doesn't bother me at all. I do peek under the cloth a few times each summer to make sure all is well.
