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| Category: Succulent |
| Family: Agavaceae (now Asparagaceae) |
| Origin: Southwest (U.S.) (North America) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Variegated Foliage: Yes |
| Flower Color: Yellow |
| Bloomtime: Infrequent |
| Synonyms: [Agave toumeyana ssp. bella] |
| Height: <1 foot |
| Width: 1-2 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 0-10° F |
| May be Poisonous (More Info): Yes |
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Agave toumeyana var. bella (Toumey's Century Plant) - Beautiful small clustering agave growing to around 10 inches tall with 8 to 12 inch wide rosettes with as many as 100 to 200 stiff 4 to 8 inch long narrow leaves that have attractive white longitudinal markings and margins decorated with curling white threads. Many of the leaves appear an equal length, giving the rosette a flat-top look. At maturity and usually then in late spring or early summer is produced a 4 to 6 foot spicate inflorescence bearing 3/4 to 1 inch long pale yellow flowers with stamens not extending beyond the tube. Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil and irrigate occasionally to infrequently. Hardy to around 10 °F. Toumey's Century Plant is a nice small specimen plant in the rock or succulent garden and also makes a very attracted long term container specimen. It has a restricted range in the Sierra Ancha Mountains in central Arizona 65 miles northeast of Phoenix where it grows on rocky hillsides, mesas, desert chaparral and pine and juniper forests from 2,400 to 5,200 feet. The type plant was collected in Parker Creek Canyon and first described by August J. Breitung in the 8th of his series of "Cultivated and Native Agaves in the Southwestern United States, published in the May-June 1960 issue of the Journal of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America (Vol. 32, No. 3) where he noted the plant differed from typical form of Agave toumeyana by "having more numerous and shorter leaves forming dense beautiful (hence "bella") rosettes" and further noted that except for the more numerous leaves, the rosettes of this variety closely simulate A. parviflora". The specific epithet honors U.S. botanist Dr. James W. Toumey and the varietal name comes from the Latin word 'bellus' meaning beautiful. Other common names include Toumey Agave, Hardy Century Plant, Silver Dollar Agave, Fairy-ring agave, Miniature Century Plant.
This information about Agave toumeyana var. bella 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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