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| Category: Succulent |
| Family: Agavaceae (Agaves) |
| Origin: Mexico (North America) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Yellow |
| Bloomtime: Infrequent |
| Synonyms: [A. lophantha 'RBG', Hort.] |
| Height: 1-2 feet |
| Width: 2-3 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Drought Tolerant: Yes |
| Deer Tolerant: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 15-20° F |
| May be Poisonous (More Info): Yes |
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Agave difformis - A small to medium sized rhizomatous agave to 18 inches tall with narrow (1 inch wide) upright medium olive green leaves that have a very pale gray-green, nearly white, midrib and pale gray downturned spines along the leaf margin. Plant in full sun. Drought tolerant. Hardy to at least 15 F. Agave difformis is a variable species and close relative to Agave lophantha and Agave lechuguilla that grows at elevations of 5,000-6000' in rocky soils on the desert side of the Sierra Madre Occidental in Hidalgo and San Luis Potosi in North Central Mexico. The specific epithet "difformis" given to this species by Alwin Berger when he first described the plant in "Die Agaven" was presumably because the clone he described had some leaf margins with spines and others lacking them. We have grown this plant since 2006 listed as Agave lopantha 'RBG' in the belief that it came so tagged from the Ruth Bancroft Garden. Several people commented that it looked more like a form of Agave lechuguilla than A. lophantha and one of them, Ruth Bancroft curator Brian Kemble, noted that plant also did not come from their garden. Our thanks to Greg Starr who noted that this plant was nearly identical to seed grown plants that he had of Agave difformis.
The description above is based on our research and observations of this plant growing in our nursery and in our own and other Santa Barbara gardens. We would appreciate hearing from anyone who has additional information or disagrees with what we have written.
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