Agave striata
Narrow Leaf Hardy Century Plant
Description
Agave striata is an easy-to-grow century plant that looks quite different from the wider leaf types with its narrow, rounded, grey-green, knitting needle-like leaves that are stiff and delightfully painful. The initial rosettes are 18" tall x 3' wide, but after the 8' tall flower stalks of hummingbird-favorite flowers finish in midsummer, the rosette branches and continues to grow, eventually creating a stack of porcupine-like balls. Hailing from the Sierra Madre Orientale mountain range in northeast Mexico, Agave striata has good winter hardiness and has been fine at 0 degrees F in our garden. It does best in full sun with well draining, sandy or loamy soil. Established plants are drought tolerant. Blooms appear in spring and summer.
Plant Type
Succulent
Height Range
6-12'
Width Range
Flower Color
Yellow
Flower Season
Spring, Summer
Leaf Color
Dark Green
Bark Color
n/a
Fruit Color
n/a
Fruit Season
n/a
Sun
Full
Water
Very Low
Growth Rate
Moderate
Soil Type
Sandy, Loam
Soil Condition
Well-drained, Dry
Soil pH
Acid, Neutral, Basic
Adverse Factors
Thorns/Spines
Design Styles
Meadow, Mediterranean, Ranch, Spanish
Accenting Features
Showy Flowers, Unusual Foliage, Unusual Shape
Seasonal Interest
Spring, Summer
Location Uses
Background, Shrub Border, Raised Planter, Roadside, Walls / Fences
Special Uses
Erosion Control, Filler, Mass Planting
Attracts Wildlife
Birds, Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Water Saving Tip:
Change spray sprinklers to low-flow bubbler or drip systems.
Shrubs and trees are ideal candidates for this type of irrigation because the water is applied directly to the root zones.