Smooth Agave 'Variegata'

Agave desmettiana 'Variegata' is one of the most elegant Agaves for container cultivation. It forms a graceful, urn-shaped rosette of relatively soft, pliable leaves. The foliage is a beautiful mid-green with bold, creamy-yellow margins and very few sharp teeth along the edges, making it more 'user-friendly' than many of its relatives. In the UK, it is a tender plant (H2) and must be brought indoors or into a frost-free greenhouse for the winter. It makes a magnificent focal point for a patio during the summer months. It is faster-growing than many other Agaves and, when mature, can produce a spectacular flower spike up to 3 metres tall, although this may take many years in our climate. It prefers a bright position but can tolerate slightly less intense sun than some of the desert Agaves. Plant in well-drained soil and water moderately during the summer, allowing it to dry out almost completely in winter.

Sun: Full sun to partial shade.

Soil: Well-drained succulent compost.

Hardiness: H2 — down to 1°C.

Flowering: Jul, Aug.