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Agave bracteosa 'Monterrey Frost' (Variegated Candelabrum Agave) - An unusual variegated form of the Candelabrum Agave (Agave bracteosa) that grows to 1 foot tall by a foot and a half wide. It has pliable unarmed arching narrow leaves with a sandpapery texture that are pale green edged with a creamy-white margin. This plant will offset sporadically once it matures and may flower though we have not heard of this cultivar doing so yet. Once the species plant matures it has a 4- to 5-foot-tall dense spike bearing small pale yellow to cream flowers with exerted stamens and pistils.
Plant in bright shade to part sun. It may take full sun along the coast. Water occasionally and protect from temperatures below 20 F. Agave bracteosa is native to northeastern Mexico, where it occurs in steep rocky areas and on cliffs in the mountains near Monterrey, Nuevo Leon and Saltillo, Coahuila. This cultivar has reportedly been passed along in California collectors' circles for more than a decade but has rarely been widely available. In 2007 Tony Avent acquired this beauty from Quail Botanical Gardens (now San Diego Botanic Garden) and got it to a micropropagation laboratory (tissue culture) to the benefit of all of us agavephiles! For more information on this species see our listing for Agave bracteosa. We also grow our own Agave bracteosa hybrid Agave 'Mateo' that we introduced in 2009.
This information about Agave bracteosa 'Monterrey Frost' 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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