The aptly named artichoke agave is easily one of the most distinctive and attractive agaves you can add to your collection. Because it’s found only in the Mexican state of Durango, we encounter this compact variety more often in cultivation than in its natural habitat. It forms a tight rosette of rigid grey-green leaves that are short and wide, each with a contrasting reddish-brown margin that gives way to numerous teeth and a stout black terminal spine.
Agaves bloom once just before they die, and this one is no exception to the rule. At maturity, after about 15-20 years of growth, artichoke agave sprouts a 10-20 foot branching stalk with clusters of reddish buds that open into lemon-yellow flowers that the hummingbirds adore. The main plant can be replaced by one of its many pups once its blooms have faded.
Height: 2 – 3 feet
Width: 2 – 3 feet
Bloom color: Yellow
Flowering season: Summer (mature plants only)
USDA minimum zone: 8
Cold hardiness: 15° F
Photo Gallery
