Very hardy Agave.

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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SC FM
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Very hardy Agave.

#1

Post by SC FM »

I have an Agave bracteosa and two A. parryi on my south facing porch and an Agave utahensis on my front steps in full sun and rain, one snow.. All went thru this prolonged two week below normal cold spell with several days with low teens , one day 11 and many days with highs barely at freezing or below. With the exception of the utahensis all were very dry. Just posting to say that I think these would be good plants for anyone in USDA zone 7a or maybe 6b to grow.
MJP
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Re: Very hardy Agave.

#2

Post by MJP »

Agave parryi ssp. huachucensis has been hardy as a rock here in New Hill, NC, zone 7b.
Agave bracteosa suffers a good bit of damage almost annually here, and was killed by this winter's cold in my garden.
The surprise for me has been Agave ocahui, which was undamaged by 7F, -14C on several different winters, and this year only shows a little leaf hazing as a result of the 201 consecutive hours of freezing while positioned in a less than ideal microclimate.
SC FM
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Re: Very hardy Agave.

#3

Post by SC FM »

I guess, maybe since the A. bracteosa is on my porch and completely dry might add to the hardiness. I am considering putting it in the ground this Spring. I used to have a nice size A. ocahui but I dug it up during the middle of summer and moved it a couple of times then again in late fall and it died. I think because it was not well established before winter is the main reason it died, because I had had it for a number of years. I found it to be very hardy for me here. It is one of my favorite Agaves. I want to get another one. What county do you live in there in NC ?
MJP
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Re: Very hardy Agave.

#4

Post by MJP »

We live in the southeast end of Chatham County. Chatham County is very wide but not very tall - sorta like Tennessee in that way.
abborean
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Re: Very hardy Agave.

#5

Post by abborean »

Agave bracteosa isn't affected a short distance from you fellows here in SE NC (Pender County). We did have the coastal snow cover for the worst part of this spell though.
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Paul S
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Re: Very hardy Agave.

#6

Post by Paul S »

Here in the southeast of England I tried Agave ocahui but it melted away to nothing in a particularly bad winter - which here equated to a low of -8C (around 17F?) and a week below freezing day/night. Agave bracteosa, by contrast, was unmarked and is actually one of the best agaves to grow outside throughout most of the UK. Shows how differently different plants behave in different climates.
MJP
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Re: Very hardy Agave.

#7

Post by MJP »

The winter here had the longest continuous period of freezing temperature on record: 201 continuous hours at-or-below freezing with a low of 4F (as measured at RDU airport). The city of Sanford reported -4F, as did weather underground. My garden is situated closer to Sanford, so you can imagine my panic when I saw the reported temperature of -4F! However, based on leaf damage to palm species, I estimate the temperature here was closer to 5 or 6F.

Anyway, when the long spell of cold settled in I had not protected most of my succulent collection. Exposed, unprotected against the cold were three precious new additions - two seedlings and one pint-sized Agave 'Blue Rapture'. When the cold spell was well underway I remembered them and ruefully thought "Well, they're goners for sure." When the cold spell broke at last I made my rounds through the garden inspecting plants for damage, and found plenty of casualties (a new compost pile is heaped full of cactus and agave corpses). When I came around to the three unprotected 'Blue Rapture' plants I was very much surprised to see them looking none the worse for wear. In fact, I questioned what I was seeing, and felt the leaves with my fingers to detect any softening or other indication of cold damage. There was none. Still doubtful, I determined to watch over them as the weather warmed over the following days, as it sometimes takes warm weather to have cold damage show. They continued to look perfectly fine. We then had another snowstorm and 7 inches of snow. They shrugged this off too. So I am happy to say that Agave ovatifolia x flexispina 'Blue Rapture' is a very hardy seed group.

Here they are after all the things described above. Alas, snails or slugs have taken to nibbling the foliage.
Attachments
Unprotected pint-sized plant.
Unprotected pint-sized plant.
BlueRapture - 1.jpg (138.64 KiB) Viewed 815 times
An itty bitty unprotected seedling.
An itty bitty unprotected seedling.
BlueRapture - 1 (1).jpg (118.74 KiB) Viewed 815 times
A plant that I actually did protect (nibbled by a slug)
A plant that I actually did protect (nibbled by a slug)
BlueRapture - 1 (2).jpg (129.75 KiB) Viewed 815 times
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