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Agave americana
The plant likes sunny locations, but can also tolerate partial shade.
Always water a few days after the substrate has dried out. Reduce watering in winter.
It can withstand temperatures down to -12.2 °C for short periods. However, the plant is not frost-resistant.
The name Century Plant is misleading – the rosette does not live for a hundred years, but usually only for a few decades.
Agave americana is widely known under the common name Century Plant. The species epithet americana means “American” and refers to the place where the plant was first described.
This agave forms large rosettes of grey-green to blue-green leaves covered with a fine waxy coating. The leaves have sharp marginal spines and end in a strong dark brown terminal spine. They can reach up to 2 meters in length and about 25 cm in width, while the entire rosette may grow up to 1.8 m tall and around 3 m in diameter.
Despite the nickname “Century Plant,” the rosette usually lives for about 10 to 30 years. Toward the end of its life, it produces a massive flowering stalk, branched near the top, which can reach up to 9 meters in height.
After flowering, the main rosette dies, but it forms offsets around the base, allowing new plants to develop. Agave americana is a strong architectural species that works well as a solitary plant in portable containers, and it is an excellent choice if you are looking for a large agave with an impressive rosette.