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Agave victoriae-reginae (Queen Victoria Agave) - A slow-growing and attractive small clump-forming agave to 1 foot tall by 1 1/2 feet wide with tight-fitting, tapered deep green leaves that are edged in white along the margins and end in a small terminal spine; the leaf margins are smooth and spineless. When the plant flowers, which only happens with considerable age, the unbranched spike can reach to 15 feet and bares densely packed reddish-purple flowers. After flowering this species usually does not offset and so will have to be replaced.
Plant in full sun or light shade where it requires little to no irrigation in coastal gardens and is cold hardy to at least 10 F°. This is a very attractive small agave that is great in the garden or in pots.
Agave victoriae-reginae is in the Marginatae selection of the genus and is found growing naturally in scattered locations in the Chihuahuan Desert from 4,000 to 5,00 feet in elevation. The type locality is near Saltillo, Coahuila along the road to Monterey. Another famous location is in Huasteca Canyon, just outside the city of Monterey, Mexico. The specific epithet given this plant by the English gardener and botanist Thomas Moore honors his Queen Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria), Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 1837 until her death in 1901. There are several named forms and hybrids involving this species. It is also known as the Royal Agave. We also grow the beautifully variegated variety Agave victoriae-reginae 'Albomarginata' that is often referred to as the White Rhino.
Information displayed on this page about Agave victoriae-reginae is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will 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.
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