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Agave xylonocantha (Saw Leaf agave) – A single or occasionally clumping agave with open rosettes to 3 feet tall by 4 feet wide with only a sparse number of pale grey-green lanceolate leaves that have a lighter center stripe and broad light-colored almost papery irregularly-shaped spines on broad teats that run together along the leaf margin.
Plant in full sun and irrigate occasionally to infrequently. Hardy to the low to mid 20's°F.
This close relative of Agave lophantha comes from the drier limestone slopes and valleys on the desert side of the Sierra Madre Orientale at elevations about 3,000 feet in the Mexican States of Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosi and Hidalgo. The specific epithet 'xylonocantha' means "wood spines" in a fitting reference to the broad wood colored spines. One of the previous used names of this plant, Agave carchariodonta, was in reference to the teeth (odonta) of the Great White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias. Our plants originally from Mountain States Wholesale Nursery. We grew this interesting plant from 2009 until 2013.
This information about Agave xylonacantha displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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