Agave seemanniana

Scientific Name

Agave seemanniana Jacobi

Synonym(s)

Agave caroli-schmidtii, Agave guatemalensis, Agave pygmaea, Agave scolymus var. seemanniana, Agave seemanniana subsp. pygmaea, Agave seemanniana var. perscabra, Agave seemanniana var. pygmaea, Agave tortispina

Scientific Classification

Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Agavoideae
Genus: Agave

Origin

This species is native to Mexico (Oaxaca and Chiapas), Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. It grows on dry, rocky slopes at elevations between 1,300 and 7,200 feet (400 and 2,200 m).

Description

Agave seemanniana is a succulent plant that forms a solitary rosette of light glaucous to yellowish-green leaves with irregularly toothed margins and a dark brown to grayish terminal spine. It is variable in the form and size of the leaves, margins, and teeth. The leaves are thick, fleshy, ovate to broadly lanceolate or spatulate, up to 20 inches (50 cm) long and 8 inches (20 cm) wide. Flowers are yellow, funnel-shaped, up to 2.8 inches (7 cm) long, and arranged in dense clusters on branches at the upper half of the up to 13.1 feet (4 m) tall inflorescence. After flowering, the rosette will die. Fruits are loculicidal capsules with black seeds.

Etymology

The specific epithet "seemanniana (see-mahn-ee-AY-na)" honors Berthold Carl Seemann (1825-1871), a German botanist and traveler who collected and described plants from the Pacific and South America.

How to Grow and Care for Agave seemanniana

Light: Like all Agaves, this plant requires full sun to partial shade. If growing A. seemanniana indoors, choose a bright, sunny window with as much sun as possible. From spring to fall, it loves going outside.

Soil: A. seemanniana will tolerate most soils as long as they have good drainage, but its preference is sandy or rocky soil.

Temperature: During the growing season, it likes warm temperatures, while in winter, when resting, this succulent enjoys cooler temperatures. A. seemanniana can withstand temperatures as low as 25 °F (-3.9 °C). USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 9b to 11b, 25 to 50 °F (-3.9 to 10 °C).

Watering: From spring to fall, water thoroughly when the soil becomes dry. In winter, water sparingly about once a month. Plants in containers require more frequent watering than those in the ground.

Fertilizing: Give your A. seemanniana a small amount of fertilizer in the spring during the first two years. After that, established plants seem to take care of themselves.

Repotting: If you notice your A. seemanniana becoming pot-bound, repot it with fresh soil in a new pot that is just slightly larger than the old one. Give the plant a week or so to readjust before you water it again.

Propagation: Since it is a plant with a solitary growth habit, A. seemanniana can be propagated only from seeds.

Learn more at How to Grow and Care for Agave.

Toxicity of Agave seemanniana

A. seemanniana is not toxic to humans, but it may be mildly poisonous to children and pets.

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