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| Category: Succulent |
| Family: Agavaceae (now Asparagaceae) |
| Origin: Mexico (North America) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Yellow Green |
| Bloomtime: Infrequent |
| Synonyms: [A. 'Boutin Blue', A. 'Blue Boy'] |
| Height: 3-4 feet |
| Width: 3-4 feet |
| Exposure: Sun or Shade |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 25-30° F |
| May be Poisonous (More Info): Yes |
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Agave attenuata 'Nova' (Blue Fox Tail Agave) - A large rosette succulent that forms a large cluster to 4 to 5 feet tall by about twice as wide with individual rosettes 4 to 5 feet wide atop a stout gray stem to 4 feet tall. The wide blue gray pliable leaves lack any teeth along the margins and emerge from a tight central spear to arch gracefully back, looking like large open gray-blue flower. Mature plants send up a 5 to 10 foot vertical flower stalk that, unlike the species does not arch over back towards the ground, but does have the same pale greenish yellow flowers. Plant in full coastal sun to shade in a well-drained soil in moist or fairly dry soils but looks its best with an occasional watering. Will tolerate light frost but will usually be damaged in temperatures much below 28° F. Tolerant of near seaside conditions This is one of the first blue selections from plants at the Huntington Gardens that were from the seed collected along a high rocky cliff at 7,200 feet in the Sierra de Manantlan on the south facing slope of a ridge above Durazono in the state of Jalisco by by Myron Kimnack and Fred Boutin in 1970. Seedlings from these plants were originally distributed by the Huntington Botanic Garden (ISI#1442) in 1984. It is much bluer and has wider leaves than Agave attenuata and the flower stalk is erect where Agave attenuata droops over. Culture and growth patterns are otherwise similar to the species. In 2003 the Huntington Botanic Gardens announced that Agave attenuata var. nova (ISI#1442) and Agave attenuata 'Nova' (ISI# 9038) are the same taxon, though in fact the first plants offered in the nursery trade were seedlings, so really represented a grex group with many genetically unique individual plants that would allow for the potential for many separate cultivars that could be selected from them. San Marcos Growers grew some of these other named plants, including the selections 'Huntington Blue' and 'Arboleda Blue'. but continued to list the first of the seedlings selections that we made as Agave attenuata 'Nova'. The name 'Nova' had been published as early as 1984 for this plant but but Colin Walker, writing in the June 2001 Journal of the British Cactus and Succulent Society proposed the plant be renamed Agave attenuata 'Boutin Blue' citing that the cultivar name 'Nova' should not allowed by the rules of nomenclature for cultivated plants because it "may be considered to be Latin, and thus liable to cause confusion." The word "nova", meaning "a star that ejects some of its material in the form of a cloud and become more luminous in the process", is also used as a noun in the English language, so it actually could be legitimately used for a cultivar name. San Marcos Growers has sold this seedling selection it made from the Huntington seed grown plants since 1987 under the name Agave attenuata 'Nova' and we continue to offer this selection under its original name. In 2012 the Huntington Botanic Garden made their own selection of one of the original Myron Kimnack and Fred Boutin collected plants and had it reproduced by micropropagation (tissue culture) by Rancho Tissue Technologies and this plant has now been officially named Agave attenuata 'Boutin Blue' and so we now offer both our original selection 'Nova' and 'Boutin Blue'. These sister seedling originated cultivars are so similar, with seemingly only negligible differences, that we describe them here in the same manner but welcome comparisons in the future when 'Boutin Blue' gets established in gardens.
This information about Agave attenuata 'Nova' displayed is based on research conducted in our library and from reliable online resources. We will also note observations that we have made about it as it grows in the gardens in our nursery and those elsewhere, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others, and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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