Reference: Agave Hardiness

Use this forum to discuss matters relating to Agave, Beschorneria, Furcraea, Hesperaloe, Hesperoyucca, Manfreda, Polianthes, Yucca and related species. This is where one posts unknown plant photos for ID help.
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Spination
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#26

Post by Spination »

OK. I just checked my photofiles and I see mine which suffered significant damage was purchased as A. celsii "Special Variegated" back in 2012. I'm renaming it as "Special Consideration" (for cold!). lol
Thanks for the clarification. :))
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Gee.S
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#27

Post by Gee.S »

Here is my 'Multicolor' a couple weeks after after enduring several evenings in the upper 20's. It does look to have taken some fresh damage. I've had it in the ground for more than two years now. It never looks terrible, but it never looks good either. I need to dig this thing up and pot it or toss it. This plant is just not for here. I'd bet many of us were duped into bringing one home by the deceptive name, which suggests a far more hardy plant.
A. 'Celsii Multicolor'
A. 'Celsii Multicolor'
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Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#28

Post by Geoff »

I live in Acton California where it gets down to 20F every year.. .though my A mitis multicolor did get pretty badly damaged at 20F last winter, it easily survived and flowered the following summer... have sent out thousands of bulbils on this site as proof of survival. However, NOW it is indeed dead, thanks to flowering AND another winter of 20F. Most bulbils planted in ground, however, are still alive and some growing, though others in more exposed areas (on berms and in wind exposure) have a sickly look to them that suggests they are no longer made of living tissue. We'll see. my A mitis NOvas are all still OK, though one did get some cold damage/wind damage (had a 60mph wind on night temps were around 24F, and wind chill was calculated at about 15F). But my Agave pendula survives its second winter with only color changes and some moderate wind damage. That one is a keeper!!
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#29

Post by Gee.S »

I just noticed an A. victoriae-reginae with tip burn. Just goes to show, any Agave can take damage if it hasn't hardened off properly.
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#30

Post by SC FM »

I find that the hardiness ratings of Agave are off quite a bit, at least for many of the ones I grow outside.
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#31

Post by MJP »

Fred,

What Gees has done is wonderful. It is a place to start.

For you and I , here in the humid southeast with less insolation than the desert southwest, we must allow some interpretation for our climate.

The variation in temperature and humidity and insolation and ground moisture and soil composition varies even within my property, let alone across State lines and geographic regions.
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#32

Post by abborean »

saw this same problem elsewhere with mitis or celsi plants that were hybrids defined as the species. Straight up candle apple green celsi/mitis is good to 10f here and alive but ugly at 5f. Here is southeast north carolina
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#33

Post by greenghost »

GeeS wrote:'Nova' and 'Multicolor' are different plants. 'Nova' is an A. mitis hybrid. 'Multicolor' is not even a Littaea Agave. My 'Nova's are good down to 20°F, my 'Multicolor' is good down to 30°F, perhaps a degree or two better, but I wouldn't bank on it.
I purchases multicolor last fall with the intention of trying it in a protected location here in Las Cruces; Greg Starr says it is hardy to 8b. But I ended up putting it in a pot because of this comment. Is that the consensus on hardiness?
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#34

Post by Gee.S »

It is the most tender Agave I have in the ground, taking damage every year. Keep it potted, it won't survive one of your winters.
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
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Azuleja
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#35

Post by Azuleja »

This is handy, thank you. It's nice to see everything in one place.
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#36

Post by Shmuel »

Hi all. A very useful post. Thanks.
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#37

Post by Luc »

I tried A. sobolifera in the open.
Result 28/29°F (-2°C) no pain!
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#38

Post by Brooksphilly »

Question, please. If the agave is in 8- or 10-inch clay pot (fairly dry, gritty mix) and not the ground, how well does this chart hold? Should I add a certain range of degrees, as I have heard plants in the ground can take colder temps than potted plants? Thanks much.
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#39

Post by Luc »

Cold hardiness is given for a plant in the ground so for a potted plant must be considered as less cold resistant, at least this is like this that we have to "read" it according to me.
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#40

Post by Shmuel »

Of course, pots are easier to move under shelter....
I have a metal frame over a table with pots that I put plastic sheeting over in the winter. It keeps just enough cold out and also keeps out the winter rains. Cold and dry is so much hardier than cold and wet. : )

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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#41

Post by Viegener »

It depends on the species. California is a basic winter-wet, summer-dry climate, and anything from Arizona or Baja California hates it outside in the rain. Lots of Mexican species seem fine, and some even seem to like it. Soil mix is very important, well draining soil with pumice or perlite helps a lot.
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#42

Post by Gee.S »

There is no variability in hardiness as some might like to think. Although there could be separate populations of one species in which one is more hardy than another. Discounting that, hardiness is essentially an objective measure, expressed in degrees. So if Agave soandso is determined to be hardy to 25°F, that is the end of it. The important factor from that point is how long the plant is exposed to damaging temperatures, and that can be mitigated by covering and/or locating next to a heat source. So exposure to sub 25°F temps for an hour my cause a little tip burn, while exposure upward of six hours may prove fatal. In ground plants are typically more hardy that potted plants because the ground is a heat source.
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#43

Post by Brooksphilly »

Is there a difference in hardiness between the regular Victoria reginea and this variegated type? Avr is listed here at approximately 15 degrees F. Anyone have knowledge of approximate temp for variegated like this? Thank you.
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#44

Post by agaveDan »

I was recently given A. albomarginata and a A. hookeri plants from a friend.
What is their hardiness temperature and any other special care notes?
Thanks!
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#45

Post by Melt in the Sun »

Brooksphilly wrote:Is there a difference in hardiness between the regular Victoria reginea and this variegated type? Avr is listed here at approximately 15 degrees F. Anyone have knowledge of approximate temp for variegated like this? Thank you.
I'm not sure...mine have endured low-twenties-ish, but that's an awfully big and glorious plant to experiment with!
agaveDan wrote:I was recently given A. albomarginata and a A. hookeri plants from a friend.
What is their hardiness temperature and any other special care notes?
Thanks!
Supposedly albomarginata is a mid-twenties plant, but as you've probably found the information is scarce. No idea about A. hookeri - if it's the one from abborean, it should be pretty tough. A few of us have that plant and I'm not sure how hardy it is...our last few winters haven't even killed my vegetables.
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#46

Post by Brooksphilly »

Thanks. It’s on of my favs. It’s been sitting safely in my office window for 3 weeks! haha
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#47

Post by abborean »

agaveDan wrote:I was recently given A. albomarginata and a A. hookeri plants from a friend.
What is their hardiness temperature and any other special care notes?
Thanks!
Hey Dan,
Both of them can take 10f in the ground here with little damage. To qualify that statement it would be a single night that low and not a week of it which I haven't experienced here. Also as others have mentioned a potted plant is damaged or killed at higher temps.
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#48

Post by Melt in the Sun »

A. kavandivi - toast at ~29-30. Keep it covered!
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#49

Post by Meangreen94z »

Hmm good to know. I think I threw a blanket over them among others when it dropped to 31*F this winter. No damage to either of mine
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Re: Reference: Agave Hardiness

#50

Post by Henrius »

Agave americana might take down to 15 degrees, but it sustains a lot of damage. Now variety protoamericana is another story. It survives mostly unscathed, even in our wet winters!
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