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Agave potatorum (Butterfly Agave) - A medium-sized solitary agave with broad gray leaves that form in an open symmetrical rosette to 1 to 2 feet tall by 2 to 3 feet wide. The many 10- to 18-inch-long leaves are slightly reflexed back near the tips with chestnut brown spines; the 1 inch long terminal spine is slightly wavy and the short marginal spines are on tubercle-like prominences. 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. This species is quite variable in form; some plants have flatter leaves radiating straight out from the crown while others have leaves that are slightly cupped along the margins and are reflexed back.
The species Agave potatorum ranges through the semi-arid highlands between 4,000 and 7,000 feet in Oaxaca and southern Puebla. This beautiful agave was appreciated by the Nahuatl Indians who called it "papalometl" meaning "Butterfly Agave". The specific name "potatorum" is the generative of the Latin word 'potator' meaning "of the drinkers" in reference to the use of this plant in making alcoholic beverages.
Agave potatorum was one of the first uncommon agaves that we grew with our firt crop planted in 1991 after getting bare root plants grown in Texas from Robert Greenberg of Cycadia Nursery. We later continued growing it until 2008 from seed collected off of these plants. While a nice plant, by this time we had made selections of this species that we thought better. We listed these plants as Agave potatorum 'Mariscal', Agave potatorum 'El Camarón', Agave potatorum 'Swizzle Stick' and Agave potatorum 'Cherry Swizzle. We also named a seed crop Agave potatorum "Portillo Nejapa" that were from seed collected near the location of where Agave potatorum 'El Camarón' came from. In addition we grew selections of this species that were shared with us by others such as the Japanese cultivars Agave potatorum 'Kichiokan', the variegated Agave potatorum 'Ikari Raijin Nishiki' and
Agave potatorum 'Kichiokan Marginata' as well as a couple other variegated cultivars selected here in the US, Agave potatorum 'Eye Scream' and Agave potatorum 'Snowfall'.
The information displayed on this page about Agave potatorum 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.
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