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Maguey and Century Plants
Photographed: At the Hotel Magdalena, Tobago Plantations Estate, Lowlands, Tobago, in 2018
©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com
Falcate Needle-leaf Hardy Century Plant Agave striata ssp. falcata
When mature this perennial plant will reach a height of about 20 inches.
Benefits: A surrounding row of these should keep most pesky creatures out of your garden.
It will, however, attract bees and hummingbirds when it is blooming.
From: Mexico
Photographed:   In the Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney, Australia, 2013.
Planting and Care: Grown in full sun, this agave will appreciate a good well-composted soil, but water it sparingly.
Text and Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2013/2019
Agave Spot, Manfreda, American Aloe, Rattlesnake Master Manfreda virginica
This is not one of the huge tortured leaves agaves, but one with leaves extending only about 15". Nevertheless, it is very appealing and in northern climates will make an attractive greenhouse specimen.
Benefits: Agave Spot earned one of its other names, rattlesnake master, as it was used to treat bites from the poisonous snake. It is said to have other curative qualities as well.
From: The United States and Mexico.
Photographed: In the Blithewold Garden in Bristol, Rhode Island 2013.
Planting and Care: The agave spot or Manfreda prefers full sun in cooler climates and a bit of shade during the hot mid day in warm climates. It likes well drained soil and light watering. Its advantage as an agave is that it is more cold tolerant than other members of its family.
Text and Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2013/2019

**Caribbean Agave Agave angustifolia variegata
This is a yellow and green variety of plant in the large yucca family, a great old standby in gardens from New England, where we had one in the garden when I was growing up, to Mexico and now to the Caribbean. As it was in the States and Mexico, here in Montserrat this plant has so far proved immune to disease, fungus, and insects as well as being highly resistant to volcanic ash. As an added plus, it regularly sends out runners from which you can make new plants. Its downside is the extremely sharp points at the ends of its leaves, but that seems a small price to pay for such an attractive and worry free plant.
Benefits: This plant was used in less sophisticated times as a security device. Plant one beneath the windows of your home and be sure that no one will try to enter.
From: Mexico and Central America
Photographed: In the Botanical Garden at the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.
Photograph ©KO 2010 In our front border garden at our former home in Montserrat.
Planting and Care: Once planted in a sunny spot in the garden with room to grow, the agaves seem grateful for almost any kindness, a little dirt, a little water, lots of sun and they don't complain. If you enhance any of those things, except the water, your plant will thrive.
Text and Photograph ©KO 2008 and ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2019

 

Blue Agave, Tequila Agave Agave tequilana
If you have ever tasted mescal or tequila, this is the plant that has given you the blessing. Although there are parts of Mexico historically known for the huge fields of these plants, with the advent of tequila's popularity these agaves can be found all over the country where ever the climate approximates its needs.
Benefits: Who could be happier with a tequila sunrise?
From: Mexico as you might have already guessed.
Photographed: At the Botanical Garden in Naples, Italy, in 2012
Planting and Care: Blue agaves like to grow at an altitude that is almost a mile high. It is essentially a desert plant that will be productive in rich or sandy soil when placed in full sun and kept relatively dry.
Text & Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring 2012/2019

Recipe: Tequila Sunrise

In a large drink glass with lots of ice, pour in your desired amount of tequila followed by orange juice. Follow this with carefully pouring in genuine grenadine. It's delicious.
**Century Plant (1) Agave americanum
We had these icy green leaved variety of agaves growing in our Montserrat garden, understandable since the plant is native to tropical America. These plants were very different from the ones we had in Mexico; the surface of its leaves is papery and rough while the Mexican variety is hard and very smooth.
Benefits: It is said that juice squeezed from the leaves of an agave will treat dandruff.
From: Mexico and Southwestern southern states.
Photographed: In our garden at our former home in Montserrat.
Planting and Care: Once planted in a sunny spot in the garden with room to grow, agaves seem grateful for almost any kindness, a little dirt, a little water, lots of sun and they don't complain. If you enhance any of those things, except the water, your plant will thrive. Sadly a neighboring house was being renovated by local architect, Alford Dyett, and at one of his drunken parties on the property one of his guests drove a pick up truck over this beautiful plant. Alford was very offended that we even mentioned it to him. He is very Montserratian.
 Text & Photographs ©KO 2008/2019

Century Plant (2), Maguey, American Aloe (no relative of aloes) Agave americana 'Marginata'
I love these plants for their artistic and architectural qualities. They never seem constrained with the idea that a plant is supposed to grow a certain way. Each one of these beauties finds its own way and asks for very little in the process. Under good conditions they can reach a spread of twelve feet or so. When they reach the age of thirty years or so, they will bloom and die, leaving behind small plants to replace themselves.
Benefits: According to Wikipedia.com, "If the flower stem is cut without flowering, a sweet liquid called aguamiel ("honey water") gathers in the heart of the plant. This may be fermented to produce the drink called pulque." Pulque was produced and enjoyed by certain classes within Aztec society and it is still produced and sold in the market in Taxco where we lived for many years. Maguey is also a source plant for mezcal and tequila.
From: Mexico
Photographed: Below on the left in the Blithewold Garden in Bristol, Rhode Island 2013 and on the right at the Lu Baruni campsite in Scopello, Sicily, Italy in 2012.
Planting and Care: These are desert plants which will appreciate being in full sun. They are ideal for xeriscape gardens in relatively warm climates, though they are relatively hard down to about 15 or 20° F.
Text and Photographs ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2013/2019
 
Dwarf Century Plant, Smooth Agave, Spineless Jade Agave, Agave 'Golden Moments' Agave desmettiana syn. A. regeliana, A. miradorensis A. desmettiana
This lovely agave is relatively small with 4 inch wide leaves that will reach 3 feet in length when mature. Do be advised it has very sharp spines at the end of its leaves that can be very painful to encounter.
Benefits: This agave is both edible and nutritious. It also has medicinal benefits.
From: Mexico
Photographed: At the Roger Williams Park Botanical Center in Rhode Island in 2013.
Planting and Care: The perennial dwarf century plant can handle relatively mild winters surviving temperatures at or just below freezing. We normally think of agaves as sun lovers, but this one prefers a bit of mid-day shade. The most important feature to remember with this plant is that it normally grows in very arid conditions, so watch carefully the amount of water you give it. I also read that watering should be done with warm water.
Text and Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2013/2019
Flexible Spined Hardy Century Plant, Century plant, American Agave, American Century Plant, Maguey, Flowering Aloe, American Aloe, Spiked Aloe. Agave flexispina
This is another very appealing agave growing low and wide becoming about a foot and a half tall and twice as wide. Do be careful of its very sharp spines.
Benefits: Agave juice is loaded with vitamins and has been used externally to treat surface wounds. Internally it has been used primarily as a treatment for digestive system problems.
From: High altitude Mexico
Photographed:   In the Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney, Australia, 2013.
Planting and Care: This is one of those wondrous plants being both drought tolerant and frost hardy. Plant it in full sun and enjoy. It usually is found growing at an altitude of just under a mile high to an additional 2000 feet.
Text and Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2013/2019
**Foxtail Agave, Lion's Tail, Swan's Neck Agave attenuata
This is a beautiful agave and should find its way into every warm climate garden. I now have one of my own and it never ceases to draw my eyes.
Benefits:
From: Mexico
Photographed: Below in the Botanical Garden at the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala and on the right in my own garden at Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.
Planting and care: This agave is especially desirable if you have children in the garden area as it has no sharp points or edges. It's color is lovely as well. Give it morning and late afternoon sun, a moderate amount of water and it will thrive. Surprisingly, it does well in a rich relatively moist soil free of mid-day sun. It is not cold hardy. The foxtail agave normally grows at an altitude of a mile or more.
Text & Photographs ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2013/2019

No longer one of my mystery plants thanks to Peter at http:www/cactusjungle.com
Gypsum Century Plant, Blue Wave Agave, Gypsiferous Agave gypsophila
This is a very appealing agave for its unique appearance in family of rather spiky relatives. It will grow to be only two to three feet tall and wide so it is a manageable plant for most warm climate gardens.
Benefits: A syrup made from the leaves of this plant can be used in place of cane sugar.
From: Mexico
Photographed:   In the Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney, Australia, 2013.
Planting and Care: This plant will grow well in full sun, but it is amenable to a bit of shade. Plant it in well drained soil where it will be very tolerant of drought. It is not frost hardy.
Text and Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2013/2019
Maguey Verde Grande, Century Plant (3) Agave atrovirens
As you can see on the left below, the flower stalk looks pretty much identical to an asparagus stem, one of our favorite foods. When we were exploring by car in Sicily in late spring, we delighted in pointing out these "asparagus."
Benefits: When roasted, the flowering stem is edible and sap from the crushed stem bases is fermented to make the alcoholic beverage mescal. Sap from the plant itself is used to make Mexican pulque. Surprisingly, there don't appear to be any medicinal uses.
From: Southern Mexico
Planting and Care: This six foot wide and twelve foot tall perennial plant, the heaviest of all agaves, likes to live in full sun in a dry climate. It will grow in any type of dry soil.
Text and Photographs ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2013/2019
Photographed: To the left, by the side of the road in Sicily in 2012 and on the right in the Palermo Botanical Garden in Sicily also in 2012.
Photographed: At the Hotel Magdalena, Tobago Plantations Estate, Lowlands, Tobago, in 2018

Photographed: By the side of the road in Sicily in 2012.
Queen Victoria Agave Agave victoriae-reginae 'Compacta'
I was surprised to find this tiny member of what I think of as a family of relatively large plants.
Benefits: Drought tolerance.
From: Mexico
Photographed: On the right in the Royal Botanical Garden in Sydney, Australia, in 2013.
Planting and Care: From Mexico as are many of the members of the agave family, this plant is unusual for its small size, less than one foot in height. It will grow in either sun or shade and it is tolerant of cold up to 15° F and to drought conditions making it perfect for small xeriscape gardens.
Text and Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2013/2019
Photographed: To the left in the Royal Botanical Garden in Sydney, Australia, in 2013 and on the right in the Carlos Thays Botanical Garden in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Sisal, Sisal Hemp Agave Sisalana
This is the plant once grown on the infamous plantations in the Yucatan, the very hot and dry northeastern part of Mexico. Under turn of the century Mexican dictator, Diaz, thousands of Sonoran desert Indians were rounded up and transported by train across Mexico to work on sisal plantations which produced a very desirable and profitable rope. Life expectancy for the Sonorans on these plantations was fairly short, maybe a year or two. But Diaz had an endless supply of people to remove from their lands as he had many American friends like the Rockefellers who were given huge estates which had to be emptied of native peoples.
Benefits: Sisal is said to have many traditional medicinal applications.
From: Mexico
Photographed: At the Botanical Garden in Naples, Italy, in 2012
Planting and care: To me, sisal is almost indistinguishable from the blue agave seen above. As a fast grower, it will relatively quickly achieve its mature size of being 6 feet tall and 6 feet wide. It is a tropical climate plant that will grow well in a variety of relatively poor soils in arid situations.
  Text & Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2012/2019
If You Know What This Agave Is, Please Contact Me
**Agave Mystery #1
 This little beauty -- eventually to be huge -- had a special place in our upper garden at our former home in Montserrat. I just loved it!
Benefits:
From:
Photographed: In our upper garden at our former home in Montserrat in the West Indies.
Planting and Care: Once planted in a sunny spot in the garden with room to grow, the agaves seem grateful for almost any kindness, a little dirt, a little water, lots of sun and they don't complain. If you enhance any of those things, except the water, your plant will thrive.
Text and Photograph ©Krika.com 2008/2010/2019

If You Know What This Fern Is, Please Contact Me
Agave Mystery #2
This is a stunning plant. We brought seeds from a friend's farm in the central highlands of Mexico to our former home in Montserrat. We planted them, but nothing ever appeared. Maybe the seeds weren't dry enough when I secreted them for the trip from Mexico through Miami, Puerto Rico, Antigua and finally Montserrat.
Photograph: I still haven't found one in the hundreds of photographs I took of this wonderful area near Taxco, Mexico.
Planting and Care: As with most agaves, this one prefers a gritty well drained soil and all the sun you can provide.
Text ©KO 2008 and GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2013/2019

If You Know What This Fern Is, Please Contact Me
Agave Mystery #3
Photographed: Beside the road in Sicily, Italy, in 2012.

If You Know What This Fern Is, Please Contact Me
Could this be an Agave Dragon Toes?
Agave Mystery #5
Photographed: In the Winter Garden in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2013.
Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2013

If You Know What This Fern Is, Please Contact Me
Agave Mystery #6
Photographed: In the Winter Garden in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2013.
Photograph ©GreenGardeningCookingCuring.com 2013

Today's Plant Quiz "Curative Plants"

This is one of the plants you'll find in The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies. If it looks familiar that's because it grows near and around most areas with water. I jokingly call it American Aloe, as it is used for so many home remedies. I cannot in stress more in today's times to know ways to take care of yourself naturally. I cannot imagine the fear in having to go to the hospital (where there is no way to protect yourself from breathing recirculated air. The risk of picking up something else should whenever possible be avoided. Especially in CoronaVirus times. Why not explore our green friends first to see if you can take care of the problem at home?
 

 Click links to see our plants alphabetically listed by common name,
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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