Agave atrovirens v. mirabilis

[Jankol]

Agave atrovirens v. mirabilis (Trelease) Gentry (1982)
Hiemiflorae

Agave atrovirens v.mirabilis was given separate status by Gentry on the basis of having light grey glaucous leaves as opposed to the greener leaves of the species. Such a minor difference suggests one species. Picture from Paul Spracklin's exotic garden.

agave atrovirens v.mirabilis

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[Jankol]

Again v. mirabilis (see notes above), pictured in the collection of Jos van Roosbroeck.

[philyoung]

Taken recently near Las Vigas

[Paul S]

I was there!

(Hi Phil, good to see you here)

[KLC]

Habitat documentary.

[philyoung]

Is that a question KLC? If so, the picture was taken just a few metres from the road on the edge of town. There are other plants further south that Paul S and I saw on a previous trip but couldn't find this time. We travelled North out of town this time but didn't find any other plants

[KLC]

It was more of a request, the documentation that Paul did on previous trips was excellent and I was hoping for more. This is an agave that is discussed often but little is really known about it except by the few who have seen it up close.

[Paul S]

I get going on it soon - probably get it in cyberspace in time for Christmas, I would think...

[KLC]

Seems as though this form is very hard to find in the trade, if at all.

[gas3292]

Agave atrovirens v. mirabilis

[DesertDweller]

Courtesy of Jeremy Spath, shared with his permission.

According to Jeremy:

...these were above 10,000’ in Puebla close to the border with Oaxaca.

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[Paul S]

Lovely plants!

They look, to me, like Agave atrovirens rather than var mirabilis. When you travel around Puebla/Oaxaca, as soon as you hit the pine forest zone you see these everywhere. When out in the open they are silvery, like these, in the shade they are greener. They are pretty common, once you gain enough altitude.

My logic, when looking for plants, is to try to find the location from where they were first described. That leaves little margin for error because you know you are looking at the right thing. Then you are properly placed to look at other populations of plants. It is not always possible, of course, but in the case of A.a.v.m it is because they still exist at Las Vigas. And they don't look exactly like this - similar, obviously, because they are atrovirens, but not exactly.

[Meangreen94z]

Any idea on the hardiness of this Atrovirens in general? Being that high of elevation would lead me to believe they are hardier than the 25-30*F I’ve read

[Paul S]

A. atrovirens, at least, can be found at very high altitude but from the more southern states of Puebla/Oaxaca. In England, the few places they have been tried indicate they are only hardy here down to around 25C. I have tried and lost a couple of A. atrovirens and also a single A. a. var mirabilis I managed to acquire. I will try atrovirens again in a better spot, I think. In a different climate with longer hotter summers I'd expect them to do better, perhaps.

Here is the longest surviving one in England I know of. It is in a tiny garden right on the south coast that has warmer than average summers, milder than average winters and seems somehow to escape the cold pulses that hit the, usually, mildest southwestern western areas periodically. Yours truly for scale, so it is still a youngster. The plant, not me.

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[Meangreen94z]

Good information, thank you. Being in England I’m guessing they handle rain well? No ill effects from extended periods of wet weather?

[Paul S]

Yes, rain no problem with good drainage. Rain and freeze not so good. Where the plant above is growing would see something like 30-32" of rain a year.

Where I live we get maybe 20-22" so when I try again I will most likely give it an occasional soak.