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Agave macroacantha (Black-spined Agave) - This very distinctive small to medium-sized Agave forms dense clumps to nearly 2 feet tall by 5 feet wide composed of 10 to 16 inch wide rosettes. The rosettes have narrow blue-gray leaves that are evenly spaced and radiate straight out from the center of the plant. The leaves have very straight margins with contrasting small dark brown teeth and an even darker 1-inch-long terminal spine. When this plant begins to flower, the center leaves take on an attractive reddish hue where the dark red inflorescence begins to emerge, though it has been reported that the age of the plant needs to be 15 years or better to flower. Mary and Gary Irish report in Agaves, Yuccas and Related Plants that it forms purple-tinged green flowers with a fuzzy interior and are borne on slender stalks to 6 1/2 feet tall that have 10 to 14 side branches".
Plant in well-drained soil in full sun (Light shade or eastern exposure in hot low desert areas). Little irrigation is necessary in coastal gardens but should be given occasionally in warmer inland situations. This plant has proven hardy in a garden in one of the coldest locations in Santa Barbara and has not been bothered by short duration temperatures as low as 20 °F, though it is listed by most as hardy only to 25° F. Watch and treat for mealybug and the microscopic Agave mites (eriophyoid mites in the genus Oziella) that both plague this species and disfigure emerging leaves.
Agave macroacantha is native to barren rocky ground in the Mexican state of Oaxaca and north to near Tehuacan in Puebla. The name for the genus is one given by Swedish naturalist Carolus Linnaeus. It comes from the Greek word 'agaue' (agauos or agavos) meaning "noble" or "splendid" and originates from Greek mythology. Agaue was the daughter of Cadmus, the king and founder of the city of Thebes, and of the goddess Harmonia. The name was first used by Linnaeus in 1753 when he described Agave americana. The specific epithet comes from the Greek words 'macro' meaning "large" and 'acantha' meaning "spine", in reference to the long terminal spines of this species.
The species is a very attractive species plant that we grew from 2006 until 2011, but we decided to concentrate on a very nice silvery-gray form that came from the yard of one of our own employees that we called Agave macroacantha 'Pablo's Choice'.
The information displayed on this page about Agave macroacantha is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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