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Agave - Twin Flowered Agave
- Botanical Name: Agave Geminiflora
- Origins: Mexico
- Light: High Light
- Watering: Every 8+ Days
- Growth Speed: Slow
- Grower: Novice
- Style: Table Top
- Home Decor: Contemporary
- Variety Code: 638
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Product Description - Twin Flowered Agave
An Agave is a tough, easy-care perennial succulent that can add style to any garden or home, tolerate less than ideal conditions and grow just about anywhere. Most of agaves are very large but there are many small growing agave species just right for growing in containers on the patio and planting in home landscapes with limited space. One of the best is Twin-flowered agave (Agave geminiflora).
A short stemmed plant that forms dense symmetrical rosettes of narrow dark green leaves. The leaves have slight red-brown tips which are sharp. The long thin leaves are about 2’ long and 3/8” in diameter. In many ways it resembles a yucca, only in miniature, growing to a height and spread of 2 feet. The flower stalk is a narrow spike 8' to 12' tall that develop after several years. Flowers are yellow, but greenish near the base, they are flushed with some red or purple. Twin-flowered agave grows slow and plant is relatively short-lived, usually lives about 10 years. The name geminiflora comes from the Latin for "twin flowered", and refers to the fact the flowers are grouped two per bract, along the flower spike.
Butterfly Agave is a medium sized solitary agave from the semi-arid highlands in Mexico. It has broad gray leaves that form in an open symmetrical rosette to 1 to 2 feet tall by 2 to 3 feet wide. The many 10 to 18 inch long leaves are slightly reflexed back near the tips with chestnut brown spines; the 1 inch long terminal spine is slightly wavy. This species is quite variable in form; some plants have flatter leaves radiating straight out from the crown while others have leaves that are slightly cupped along the margins and are reflexed back. When mature a flower spike rises 10 to 18 feet bearing light green flowers tinged with red and subtended with red bracts. Butterfly agave lives about 10 years, then flowers once and plant dies.
The Aztecs knew the plant by the name of papalometl or butterfly agave. Whether this refers to a pollinator or some other meaning is long lost but does leave us with an attractive common name. The specific name "potatorum" in the generative of the Latin word "potator" meaning 'of the drinkers' in reference to the use of this plant in making alcoholic beverages.
Plant Care
As all succulents agave requires minimal care and maintenance. It is drought tolerant with low water needs, being able to store the liquid in its leaves for extended periods. Once established agave needs light to moderate watering. Allow soil to dry out between watering. Too much water can lead to crown or root rot, particularly in heavy soil. This plant is not fussy about what kind of soil it should be placed in, only that the soil be well drained. Grows best in full sun, although it tolerates light shade. Agave potatorum requires warmth all year, with a minimum temperature of 50 degrees F. Winter hardy to around 25 degrees. The geminiflora is one of the more cold sensitive agaves and will suffer some leaf damage in the mid-20s. Chilling injury causes a reddening of the foliage in winter when night temperatures fall below 40oF.0 Comment
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