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Products > Agave attenuata 'Variegata'
 
Agave attenuata 'Variegata' - Variegated Fox Tail Agave

San Marcos Growers has permanently closed as a business. This is an archived page preserved for informational use.  
Image of Agave attenuata 'Variegata'
 
Habit and Cultural Information
Category: Succulent
Family: Agavaceae (now Asparagaceae)
Origin: Mexico (North America)
Evergreen: Yes
Yellow/Chartreuse Foliage: Yes
Variegated Foliage: Yes
Flower Color: Yellow Green
Bloomtime: Infrequent
Height: 3-4 feet
Width: 4-5 feet
Exposure: Sun or Shade
Seaside: Yes
Deer Tolerant: Yes
Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs
Winter Hardiness: 25-30° F
May be Poisonous  (More Info): Yes
Agave attenuata 'Variegata' (Variegata Fox Tail Agave) - This is the yellow variegated form of Agave attenuata. Like the species this plant is unarmed and so is useful in locations where other agaves may not be used. It is far slower growing than the species but with time clumps of this plant can be expected to reach 3 to 4 feet tall by twice this width (if your friends don't talk you out of spare rosettes from time to time). The wide pale green pliable leaves have yellow stripes near the margins that are different from leaf to leaf.

Plant in full coastal sun to shade in moist or dry soils (looks best with regular watering). Tolerates seaside conditions but it will usually be damaged in temperatures below 28° F - seems a bit more tender to cold and heat than the non-variegated forms. Protect from snails which can also disfigure the plant.

This is the most heavily variegated of the Agave attenuata that we grow but its variegation is unstable and each plant, and in fact each leaf, tends to have a different variegation and sometime the leaves have so little green chlorophyl that the plant grows very slowly. For more information about the species itself and the other selections of it, see our listing for Agave attenuata

The information displayed on this page about Agave attenuata 'Variegata' 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.

 
We closed for regular business at the end of 2025 in order for the property to be developed for affordable housing.
Our gates remain closed but we will open them by appointment to interested parties as we liquidate remaining supplies and equipment.
 
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