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Agave 'Sharkskin' (Sharkskin Agave) - This structural succulent plant grows to 3 feet tall with evenly-spaced thick triangular dark gray-green leaves that have smooth margins and a prominent sturdy terminal spine. Plant suckers to produce colonies of this beautiful plant.
Plant in full sun in a moderately well-draining soil. Little irrigation required. Has proven hardy to the low 20s°F.
This form of Agave 'Sharkskin' that we have grown came to us from the Huntington Botanical Gardens. It is a naturally occurring hybrid of the ferdinandi-regis form of Agave victoriae-reginae (these two plants, once considered separate species were synonymized before the plant called ferdinandi-regis for was formally described as Agave nickelsiae) crossed with a subspecies of Agave scabra, a plant that is now considered to be a subspecies of Agave asperrima. The common name Shark Skin was applied due to this plant's texture and color - some use this common name as a cultivar name (which is less of a mouthful than Agave nickelsiae x Agave scabra). More about this plant's origins can be found on our Agave Sharkskin Page.
Another name that is sometimes applied to this plant is Agave 'Ruth Bancroft'. Although some of the plants in cultivation may have been distributed by this very fine botanic garden in Walnut Creek, CA, this name is confusing and not supported by Ruth Bancroft Garden Plant Curator Brian Kemble. Plants from the Ruth Bancroft Garden that were supplied to a tissue culture laboratory by Yucca Do nursery are now called 'Sharkskin Shoes' to differentiate them from plants originating at the Huntington Botanic Garden. We have grown plants originating from both of these gardens side by side and have found that 'Sharkskin Shoes' is more upright and seems to be less affected by the mealybug that plagues Agave 'Sharkskin'. See our listing for this plant at 'Sharkskin Shoes'.
The information displayed on this page about Agave 'Sharkskin' is based on the research we conducted about it in our nursery horticultural library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include some of our own observations made about this plant as it grows in the nursery gardens and other gardens that we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we have received from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information that will aid others to better grow it.
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