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From the dry, mountainous heart of Durango, Mexico, emerges the magnificent Agave oteroi, a living sculpture often admired for its perfect symmetry and compelling textures. While a relative newcomer to widespread cultivation, this agave, with its slow, deliberate growth – often only a few new leaves per year – and compact form, is rapidly gaining a reputation as a highly prized addition to any succulent garden or xeriscape. Its striking pale green to grey-green leaves, often edged with delicate reddish-brown teeth, create a truly unforgettable aesthetic, making this plant both a visual delight and a testament to nature’s artistry.

Agave ortgiesiana is a rosette-forming succulent, typically growing to be about 1-2 feet (30-60 cm) tall and wide at maturity, though in ideal conditions, it can larger. The overall shape is symmetrical, with a dense arrangement of leaves originating from a central crown.

• Leaf Characteristics: The leaves are broad and lanceolate (shaped like a lance head), typically a vibrant green or bluish-green. The most striking feature is the red or crimson margin that extends along the entire edge of each leaf. Leaf edges have no teeth or spines early in its life, but may develop small, irregular teeth as it matures. The leaf shape is generally flat, slightly curved, and somewhat fleshy.

4. Plant Description and Characteristics

Agave oroensis reveals elegance in its form.

3. Common Names and Etymology

While often referred to by the scientific binomial Agave ornithobroma, a common name is "Bird-Breathing Agave", this common name stems from the specific epithet "ornithobroma," a combination of Greek words. "Ornitho" likely refers to birds and is very commonly used when referring to birds and their environment. "Broma" likely refers to food or eating and can be found in many plant names. The meaning refers to the possible traditional usage of the plant to birds as a food source, or the potential for birds to somehow utilize the plant (such as in nesting) or for the observation of birds associated with the plant. These elements combine to give an impression of this connection to a bird habitat that would have been used on plants growing on the edges of bird habitat within the agave’s local areas. The common name may likely have arisen as an accurate and observant method of reflecting the plant’s characteristics in particular locations.

3. Common Names and Etymology

Agave ocahui var. ocahui doesn’t have an abundance of common names, likely due to its more restricted geographic distribution and less intense cultivation compared to better-known agave species. Common names include:

• Ocahui Agave: This name is derived directly from the scientific name, reflecting its origin.
• Lechuguilla: In some regions of northern Mexico and the southwest United States, this name is sometimes used, although it is more commonly used for other Agave species.

The scientific name, "Agave ocahui var. ocahui," indicates its lineage within the Agave genus and its specific location of origin. "Agave" (from Greek agavos or agaue meaning "noble" or "admirable") and "ocahui" refers to the town of Ocahui, located in the county of Bacoachi along with the Mexican state of Sonora, where the plant was first described. "Ocahui" in the varietal name signifies that it is a variant of the species Agave ocahui.

Agave obscura ‘Xalapa’ is a truly majestic agave, characterized by some features, including:

• Size and Growth Habit: This agave forms a dense, symmetrical rosette, reaching a mature height of approximately 60-90 cm (2-3 feet) and a similar width. It typically displays a solitary growth habit, forming a single, impressive plant that is slow growing, making for a beautiful and long impact.
• Leaf Characteristics: The leaves are thick, rigid, fleshy, and somewhat fleshy, exhibiting a lanceolate (spear-like) shape that tapers to a sharp, dark tip. They generally range from a dark, almost blue-green hue, and can display some lighter-green coloration. The margins of the leaves are usually smooth or feature small, reddish-brown teeth. Spines are found at the tip of the leaves, typically small, and dark brown or black in color.
• Flower Characteristics: The Agave obscura ‘Xalapa’ is a monocarpic plant. It flowers only once in its lifetime, typically after many years of growth, sometimes a decade or more. The flower stalk, known as a scape, can ascend to a significant height, bearing a panicle or spike of yellow flowers. After flowering, the plant dies, but it will often produce offsets before its demise.
• Unique Features: One of the most attractive unique selling points of the ‘Xalapa’ variant is its colder temperature tolerance than many other Agave varieties, which makes it an attractive potential plant for areas with colder climates. Its rosette form tends to be denser and more compact than some similar species, giving it a truly unique silhouette.

4. Plant Description and Characteristics:

Agave obscura is a relatively large agave, typically forming rosettes that can reach 1.2 to 1.8 meters (4 to 6 feet) in height and width at maturity. It is a monocarpic species, which means it flowers only once in its lifetime, dying shortly after seed distribution. The leaves are a key feature, distinguished by their dark green or blue-green color, lance-like shape, thickness, and fleshy texture. The margins of these leaves are a standout characteristic, lined with short, dark, and sharply pointed spines, providing a visual and tactile warning. In intense sunlight, the leaves can adopt distinct red tinges, adding further visual interest to the plant. When flowering, it produces a tall, imposing inflorescence (flower stalk) that can reach 4-6 m (13-20 feet) in height, with yellowish flowers and horizontal branching.

4. Plant Description and Characteristics

Agave nussaviorum is a relatively compact agave, forming symmetrical rosettes. Its standout features are its vibrant, blue-green leaves with a waxy bloom. They are lanceolate (lance-shaped) and slightly recurved, adding to the plant’s elegant form. The margins are lined with small, reddish-brown teeth, and the terminal spine is sharp and also reddish-brown; these characteristics, especially the spine, are crucial for protection from herbivores in its wild habitat.

4. Plant Description and Characteristics

This is where Agave nizandensis displays its true beauty. The leaves are generally lanceolate (lance-shaped) and arranged in a tightly packed rosette. They are a striking shade of bluish-green to gray-green, often acquiring a yellowish hue when grown in full sun. The leaves are fleshy and leathery in texture. The margins of the leaves are armed with reddish-brown spines that are relatively small and not as formidable as some other agave species. The tips of the leaves terminate in a sharp, brown terminal spine. The rosette is a medium size, typically reaching up to a meter in height and spread, forming a solitary display.

4. Plant Description and Characteristics

The Hedgehog Agave is an impressive, solitary succulent that typically forms a neat, symmetrical rosette. Its overall shape is spheroid, becoming more prominent as the plant establishes itself, maturing to 1.2 to 1.8 meters (4 to 6 feet) in height and width. The leaves are a striking shade of deep green to blue-green, often with a slightly glaucous (waxy) coating that gives them a bluish hue. They are generally lanceolate (lance-shaped), with a distinctive concave curve that gives each leaf a slight trough. The edges are adorned with distinctive brown to black marginal teeth, gradually becoming larger towards the leaf tip, and with a prominent, dark brown terminal spine. This is a monocarpic species, meaning it flowers only once in its lifetime, around the age of 15-20 years, on a large, branched panicle with numerous, upward-facing flowers that range from yellow to reddish and pink hues, which attract pollinators like bats and hummingbirds. Its exceptionally attractive arrangement of leaves, curving inward to create a more spherical shape than most agaves, combined with its distinctive marginal teeth and dark terminal spine, further bolster its ornamental appeal.