A Silver Agave for Cornwall?

[Chad]

Be gentle with me, I'm way out of my depth.

I've been beguiled by Agave ovatifolia.

Is it an option for damp Cornwall?

Or A.parryi?

Or something else?

And growing from seed, how many years before I have a 'rosette' of leaves [they are leaves, aren't they?].

Chad

[Paul S]

A. ovatifolia all day long. Seems to love water. Do bear in mind, though, it is 5ft across at maturity. And it is fast, too - should get a plant big enough to put in the ground within a couple of years if you feed, water and keep potting on. So people tell me, anyway - I always neglect mine something rotten. :lol: You could always go to Steve Mules or any of the other purveyors of succulents and save yourself some time.

[Chad]

Thanks Paul,

If I'm planting a tight group of, say, 5, how far apart would you place them?

Chad

[Paul S]

Ideally 5ft, given that is their potential diameter.

[Chad]

Do they all get that big?

Or only those deriving from the Lynn Lowery introduction from Nuevo Leon?

And how do you know which you are getting?

Chad

[Paul S]

That is the question. That first seed collection gave rise to a bunch of variable seedlings. Some particularly distinct forms were given cultivar names, put into tissue culture and flooded the market. This has pretty much spoilt the chances of obtaining the 'true' plant as, somehow, the tissue culture process has induced the plants to offset - something the original plants on Sierra Lampazos rarely, if ever, did -and this offsetting seems to be somehow passed on to new generations of seedlings. In cultivation the species has proved to have a speedy turnaround - live fast, die young - often flowering in 12 years which means that seed is now more widely available and therefore now negated the need for further TC. But the damage has been done - if you obtain seed it is almost certain to be from TC plants so you really can't guarantee what the resultant plants will look like other than they will most likely offset. I got five small <1ltr plants from Steve Mules who grew them from commerical seed which, in three years, have grown into five different looking plants that all offset. One of them looks just like the ones you see pictured on Sierra Lampazos with the 'peeled back' look to the leaves, the others not so much - more like the form 'Vanzie'. They are all Agave ovatifolia, though. If you are in no particular hurry the thing to do would be grow a couple of dozen from seed and, after three years, pick your favourites.

[Chad]

OK,

Could you recommend a seed supplier?

Chad

[RobSta]

I think Mark has a large number of seedlings from the plant/s which flowered at Tremenheere (just in case this info is of any use)

[Chad]

Rob,

Was it like this, if so it isn't the form I'm after. I want a clump of plants like this.

But from Paul's post, I may need to fund an excursion to Mexico to get uncontaminated seed.

Chad

[Paul S]

The last picture in the eBay link you posted is Agave parryi var. truncata so I wouldn't be confident what to expect. Then again they did nick one of Greg Starr's pictures so maybe they have half a clue.

Actually going there isn't possible any more - the land at Sierra Lampazos where these grow is owned and fenced off. I believe even Greg Starr says he would have trouble going there.