Synonyms:

Agave toumeyana ssp. bella

Habitat:

This Agave is native to Central Arizona. It grows at  800-1700 m in altitude, on rocky hillsides, chapparal, or on open limestone in lower pine forests. It can be found also on basalt slopes, mostly with desert scrub.

Description:

This Agave forms a small and compact rosettes, up to 20 cm in diameter and 25 cm tall, each with one or two hundreds of leaves at maturity. Leaves can be up to 20 cm long, light to dark green, with striking white marks; their margins have a brown border, no teeths, and white threadlike curling threads. Threads are 1-1,5 cm long. Leaves have also an apical, browh-greysh spine. The slender spike gets up to 1,5 m tall, and presents pale green- yellow flowers; blooming season is between late spring and early summer. The ‘bella” variety is much smaller and compact.

Cultivation:

Agave toumeyana is a realtive easy-to-grow species- It requires a very well drained soil, that needs to get dry before being watered again during summer : this will help the plant growing faster. It is very cold hardy, particularly when dry, and during winter it needs only enough water to keep the leaves from shrivelling. They do well from full sun to lightly shaded area. Plants cultivated outdoors are drought and heat tolerant.

Propagation:

Propagation can be done by basal suckers: cut them during spring or summer, let the cuttings dry for few days, then put them in compost.

Curiosity:

Watering will make temporary and partially uncurl the white filaments of the leaves; anyway, as they get dry, the will re-get their original shape.

Official Web Site:
www.giromagi.com

Italian Blog:
www.giromagicactus.com

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