Agave Attenuata from the Agavaceae family is commonly referred to as Spineless Century Plant. This agave is a much smaller version of the traditional Agave and the leaves do not end in sharp spines, making this a much more friendly Agave to have in the landscape.
The leaves of this plant are wide and a soft almost bluish-green color. This species grows to 2-4 feet in height with a spread of about 3 feet when fully mature. It likes part sun/part shade ideally, has a high drought tolerance and actually thrives in our sandy, acidic soil. After about 10 years or so, the plant will produce a tall flower spike with pale yellow to white blooms. To propagate more of these agave, gently uproot seedlings near the plant and repot.
Little irrigation is necessary once this plant is established, making it the perfect addition to a rock garden either grouped together or as an individual specimen. They also do well in pots as a modern focal point in the landscape.
The more modern elements of current architectural styles make all types of Agave a natural landscape choice. The Agave Attenuata is the perfect choice for around the home, pool and patio as it is one of the few agave without any spines.
This plant column is a joint effort from all at In The Garden, Sanibel’s local garden center located at 3889 Sanibel Captiva Rd, Sanibel Island, Florida.