Agave deserti

Taking a photo of this Agave deserti after another brutal summer is not really fair to this small Agave species. It will eventually reach up to two feet in diameter, and is far better looking in milder weather, as do most all plants around here. However, it does love the intense heat and full sun of summers in the desert. It is native to Arizona, California, and a part of northern Mexico. It's also very drought tolerant, and can take temperatures into the low 20s. This plant has been in the ground for four years, and has now started to produce offsets. They are a good distance from the mother plant, which will make them much easier to remove and plant in other areas.


I think I have now covered every species of Agave (16 of them!) in my garden. Of course, with all the replanted offsets from the various Agave species, I have upwards of 50 Agaves scattered throughout my front and back yards. Needless to say, between all the cacti and succulents, my landscape is not kid friendly. When the time comes to sell this place, new owners will probably come in and plow it all under, plant a lawn and get a pool. Me, I'll be in a tiny house with a postage stamp sized back yard, tending to two or three potted cactus plants and maybe my dwarf Agave 'Kissho Kan'. Some days, I think that day can't come soon enough!

Agave victoriae-reginae

Finally, after three years, this Agave is now identifiable as Agave victoriae-reginae. This was another unidentified free offset from a local Cactus and Succulent Society meeting. It was tiny, in fact, even after three years it's only grown to six inches high and wide. I suspected that it was a Queen Victoria, but they seldom offset, so I wasn't positive. The first leaves did not have the typical white coloration. There is a variation called A. victoriae-reginae var. viridis without white but I had never run across one, so I just sat back and waited, and as time went on, Queen Victoria characteristics slowly but surely emerged.

This Agave species is one of the most popular of all the Agaves. They love full sun, but in our climate they need twice a month watering to do well. Although I'm glad this has turned out to be a Queen Victoria, I much prefer the Agave victoriae-reginae 'compacta', which I think is the most beautiful Agave of all. I stop by my old house occasionally and peek though the view fence just to check on that Agave that I left behind. It is now quite large and still perfect. Sigh....