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Products > Agave potatorum 'El Camarón'   Agave potatorum 'El Camarón' - El Camarón Butterfly Agave     [2nd Image] Habit and Cultural Information Category: Succulent Family: Agavaceae (Agaves) Origin: Mexico (North America) Evergreen: Yes Flower Color: Yellow Bloomtime: Infrequent Synonyms: [A. scolymus, A. verschaffletii] Height: 1-2 feet Width: 2-3 feet Exposure: Full Sun Summer Dry: Yes Deer Tolerant: Yes Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs Winter Hardiness: 25-30° F May be Poisonous  (More Info): Yes Agave potatorum 'El Camarón' (El Camarón Butterfly Agave) A particularly nice form of Agave potatorum with a symmetrical rosette to 2 to 3 feet tall by as wide with heavy broad gray upright and slightly recurved leaves that have closely spaced small mammilate margins bearing red teeth with a reddish brown terminal spine. When mature a flower spike rises 10 to 20 feet bearing light green flowers tinged with red and subtended with red bracts. This agave rarely offsets so, after maturing, which in our experience begins to occur when plants are as young as 10 years old, it will flower (usually during the fall) and then the entire plant declines and dies. Plant in full sun with little irrigation required in coastal gardens but provide some supplemental irrigation in hotter inland gardens. Winter hardy to around 25 degrees. The species ranges through the semi-arid highlands between 4,000 and 7,000 feet in Oaxaca and southern Puebla and this very nice selection comes from just east of the town of 'El Camarón', south of Oaxaca City. It differs from typical Agave potatorum in having a rosette that is less open and with thicker whiter gray leaves that are a bit more upright and with smaller mammilate projections along the margin.  This description is based on research and observations of this plant as it grows in our nursery, in our nursery garden and in other gardens that we visit. We also incorporate comments received and appreciate getting feedback of any kind from those who have any additional information about this plant, particularly if they disagree with what we have written or if they have additional cultural tips that would aid others in growing Agave potatorum 'El Camaron'.     [MORE INFO]