Ruth Bancroft Garden and Agave victoria-reginae x scabra
Agave victoria-reginae x scabra in the Ruth Bancroft Garden.
During the garden tour at the Ruth Bancroft Garden we saw some amazing specimans of the hybrid between Agave victoriae-reginae and Agave scabra. This plant, sometimes called Sharkskin Agave is amazing. This structural plant grows to 3 feet tall with evenly spaced thick triangular dark gray-green leaves that have smooth margins and prominent sturdy terminal spines. This agave suckers to produce colonies of this beautiful plant. This plant is a hybrid of the ferdinandi-regis form of Agave victoriae-reginae (these two plants, once considered separate species have more recently been synonomized) crossed with Agave scabra. There have been several collections made of this plant over the years. The Huntington Botanic Garden has this a plant labled as Agave victoria-reginae x scabra (HBG28048) that was collected by Myron Kimnach & Gary Lyons on May 21, 1971 in Coahuila, Mexico but there are also references that note this plant as a Charlie Glass and Bob Foster introduction. It is possible that there are multiple collections of this cross and that not all are the same. Another bit of confusion is the name Agave 'Ruth Bancroft' that has been applied to this plant. Although some of the plants in cultivation have originated from the Ruth Bancroft Garden, this name is confusing and not supported by Brian Kemble who notes that there is another Agave introduced by the garden that already goes by this name. What ever you call this plant - it sure is beautiful! See our more information and additional pictures in our database listing Agave 'Sharkskin'
Agave vicotoria-reginae x A. lophantha in the Ruth Bancroft Garden.
Another interesting and beautiful hybrid at the Ruth Bancroft Garden was a Agave victoria-reginae crossed with A. lophantha. Interestingly this same cross was noted and collected by Myron Kimnach and Gary Lyon when they collected the A. victoria-reginae x A. scabra cross (HBG28048) noted above.
