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| Category: Succulent |
| Family: Agavaceae (now Asparagaceae) |
| Origin: Mexico (North America) |
| Bloomtime: Infrequent |
| Synonyms: [A. FO-076, A. titanota Sierra Mixteca] |
| Height: 2-3 feet |
| Width: 3-4 feet |
| Exposure: Cool Sun/Light Shade |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 20-25° F |
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Agave oteroi 'Felipe Otero' (FO-076) (Sierra Mixteca Agave) - This is a striking mid-sized agave that grows slowly to 2-3 feet tall by 3 feet wide. It has broad, relatively short, gray-green leaves with a reddish-brown terminal spine and large recurved teeth along the leaf margins that emerge a golden color and age to a gray white. The leaf margins themselves age to the same color as the spines which gives this plant a very distinctive look. This plant was originally distributed as Agave titanota and later as Agave sp. "Sierra Mixteca" with the Felipe Otero collection designation FO-076 and noted in Japanese nurseries under the name Agave sp. No.1. It was finally described as a species, Agave oteroi by Greg Starr and Tristan Davis in the Summer 2019 issue of Cactus and Succulent Journal (Vol. 91 N. 2). It seems to have affinities with Agave titanota, which has very gray-colored leaves but some speculate that it is a hybrid of A. titanota or a form or hybrid of A. horrida and the name A. horrida var. oteroi is also been used. Whatever you call this plant, it is very attractive. Plant in full sun along the coast but give some protection from afternoon sun in hot interior gardens. It has proven cold hardy to 23 F but leaf margins burn much below this. It is a very nice landscape plant and its smaller size make it a good potted specimen. Our original plant came from Abbey Garden in 1992 but later we grew seed from a plant that flowered in the garden of Santa Barbara succulent collector David Tufenkian and from these seeds we selected a very compact plant we named Agave 'Filigree that is somewhat similar to a plant we got from Guy Wrinkle labeled 'Kyoto'. We also in the past an odd form that grew up on leafy stem that we called A. titanota 'Lanky Wanky' that also seems to fit in best with Agave oteroi.
This information is based on research conducted about this plant in our nursery library and from reliable online sources. We also take into consideration observations of it in our nursery of crops, as well as of plants growing in the nursery's garden and those in other gardens we have visited. We will incorporate comments received from others and welcome getting feedback from anyone who may have additional information, particularly if it includes cultural information that would aid others in growing Agave oteroi. |
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