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| Category: Succulent |
| Family: Agavaceae (now Asparagaceae) |
| Origin: Mexico (North America) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Variegated Foliage: Yes |
| Flower Color: Green Yellow |
| Bloomtime: Infrequent |
| Synonyms: [Agave filifera 'Compacta Marginata'] |
| Height: 1 foot |
| Width: 1-2 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 15-20° F |
| May be Poisonous (More Info): Yes |
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Agave filifera ssp. schidigera 'Shira ito no Ohi' (Queen of White Thread-leaf Agave) - A showy slow-growing century plant with a solitary rosette to 1 foot tall by 18 inches wide with dark green leaves with a sharp reddish terminal spine and margins highlighted with a strong creamy-white variegation and curly white hairs. When the plant matures it can produce red-purple buds and greenish flowers on a 10 foot spike. Plant in full sun, except in hotter inland gardens where light shade or morning sun is best, in a well-drained soil with occasional irrigation in late spring and summer. Hardy to around 15°F. This plant has been in Agave collections for years as Agave filifera 'Compacta Marginata'. Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery provided the cultivar name 'Shira ito no Ohi' and the literal translation from Japanese for the common name of "Queen of White Thread-leaf" - with 'Shira-ito' meaning "white-thread" and 'no ohi' (or 'no oji') meaning "queen". Since we received this plant as an Agave schidigera cultivar we list it this way but note that Howard Scott Gentry was skeptical of Agave schidigera being a valid species when he wrote about it in his “Agaves of Continental North America” and in recent treatments by Bernd Ullrich and Joachim Thiede it has been reduced to subspecies status under Agave filifera from which it differs by being solitary, typically having longer more flexible leaves that are not thickened toward the base and larger flowers. Agave filifera ssp. schidigera is found in the wild from Chihuahua south to Michoacán and east to San Luis Pososí, Zacatecas and Durango. The origin of this cultivar is as yet unknown.
The information about Agave schidigera 'Shira ito no Ohi' displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include 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 we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant. |
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