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Agave polianthiflora - This rosette forming succulent grows to only about 5 inches tall and while most often solitary and a foot across, it sometimes produces offsetting rosettes. The short narrow dark green leaves have white bud imprinted lines on the undersides and long white fibrous hairs (filifers) along the margins. At the maturity of the rosette, which for this species is only about 5 years, it produces a unique 2- to 3-foot-tall unbranched pink stalk bearing narrow dark pink to red flowers well space on the upper half, each with a long exerted pink stigma and yellow anthers.
Plant in full to part sun in a well drained soil and irrigate occasionally to infrequently. It is cold hardy to below 0° F hardy to USDA 7 (some say 6!. A great plant for a crevice in the succulent or rock garden or a as a container planting. While small, because of the color the flowers of this species are uniques and very attractive to humans and to hummingbirds.
Agave polianthiflora grows naturally in the Mexican states of Sinaloa, Chihuahua and Sonora where it is found growing in pine and oak forested rocky soils to 6,500 feet in elevation. The name for the genus is one given by Swedish naturalist Carolus Linnaeus. It comes from the Greek word 'agaue' (agauos or agavos) meaning "noble" or "splendid" and originates from Greek mythology. Agaue was the daughter of Cadmus, the king and founder of the city of Thebes, and of the goddess Harmonia. The name was first used by Linnaeus in 1753 when he described Agave americana. The specific epithet means flowers like Polianthes (Tuberose) for their resemblance to flowers of some spcies in that genus. The species name is often mispelled "polyanthiflora" which would imply a meaning of many flowers, which this species does no have. Confusing maters more, recent taxonmic changes brought about by DNA studies have lumped plants in the genus Polianthes into Agave with other related genera such as Manfreda and Prochnyanthes, and have reclassified this species as Agave amica. We continue to list It under the name most are familiar with.
This information about Agave polianthiflora displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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