Thorn-crested Agave (Agave lophantha)

   

Thorn-crested Agave (Agave lophantha). Photograph by Wynn Anderson.

• Common English Names: Thorn-crested Agave
• Common Spanish Names:
• Scientific Name: Agave lophantha (ah-GAH-vee lo-FAN-tha) (formerly known as A. univittata)
• Family: Asparagaceae (Asparagus Family)
• Geographic Range: South Texas in Zapata, Starr Co., and in eastern Mexico from Nuevo León and Tamaulipas to San Luis Potosí and Veracruz.
• Plant Form: Rosette shrub, 2' H X 3' W.
• Remarks: Small rosettes of bright green, narrow but flattened, spine-tipped leaves, sometimes with pale center stripe, and thick undulate margins with mildly curved teeth. Flowering spike un-branched to 12' with greenish-yellow flowers with yellow to lavender filaments. Full sun to light partial shade, low to moderate water, well draining soils, hardy to 15°. Sometimes solitary, sometimes clustering by offsets.

Last Update: 22 Aug 2013