Agave ferdinandi-regis
Synonyms:
Agave victoriae-reginae
Agave consideranti
Agave ferdinandi-regis
Agave nickelsii Gosselin
Agave victoriae-reginae f. dentata
Agave victoriae-reginae f. latifolia
Agave victoriae-reginae f. longifolia
Agave victoriae-reginae f. longispina
Agave victoriae-reginae f. nickelsii
Agave victoriae-reginae f. ornata
Agave victoriae-reginae f. stolonifera
Habitat:
Agave ferdinandi-regis is a succulent native to the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico.
Description:
Succulent with a (usually solitary) small, globose rosette. Leaves are loose, thick, up to 13 cm long: their shape is triangular, and their upper surface is almost folded; colours go from dark green to blue green, and white bud imprints converge in a triangle shape. The margins are spineless, dark reddish-brown; in the leaf tip there are up to 3 (or more) dark stout spines surrounding the large terminal spine. This plant blooms in summer, with a spike up to 4 metres high: the inflorescence containins many paired flowers, usually in different shades of purple red.
Cultivation:
This plant needs a well-drained soil (but water well during spring and summer, letting the soil dry between the watering; in winter, kept them rather dry – it will help the to tolerate quite low temperatures). It requires light shade to full sun exposure, but during summer put them in afternoon shade month to avoid sun damage. , particularly when dry. Fertilize only twice a year, once in spring and once in summer with a water-soluble potassium-rich fertilizer. They can be cultivated outdoors in n areas where there are no frosts, while pots in dry and fresh rooms are better in cold climates. This succulent is susceptible to mealy bugs and scale (always inspect any new plant for pests!).
Propagation:
You can use seeds or basal suckers produced in spring as propagation material. Propagate them in moist soil, mist occasionally and, until their growth, keep in filtered sunlight.
Curiosity:
Different parts of this Agave were traditionally used to get fibres, food (mostly flowering stems and flowers, raw or boiled), and to make Tequila.
