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Agave americana var. medio-picta 'Alba' (White-Striped Century Plant) - A medium sized century plant to 3 to 4 feet tall by 4 to 6 feet wide with a bold greenish cream central stripe and blue green margins. As with the species there are recurved spines on the margins and a long terminal spine. Yellow-green flowers attract hummingbirds, however the Century Plant doesn't bloom until it is a decade or so old (not a century!) and then the main flowering rosette dies with suckers emerging around its base.
Plant in full sun. Irrigate occasionally to not at all. Cold hardy to 15 degrees F or less. This large plant can be dramatic in the landscape - give it plenty of room and situate it away from traffic. Great on a hillside. This is a very pretty Agave that is smaller than the parent species. It is striking as an individual plant or when used in mass but it is also one of the agaves that is most attractive to the Agave Snout Weevil that was once restricted to Mexico and the desert Southwest but has now become a major pest on agave in Southern California, though seemingly less so in our cooler Santa Barbara climate. Those who grow this cultivar claim it is like candy to this weevil! Use extreme care when working around or trimming any Agave. Not only are the spines wicked and cause a painful swelling if one is poked, but the sap of many species is caustic. Many a person has regretted using a chainsaw, which throws the juices back at the user, to trim an agave.
For more information on the species see our listing of Agave americana.
The information displayed on this page about Agave americana var. medio-picta 'Alba' 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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