Blue, Black-spined Agave (agave macroacantha)

8 Reasons To Grow Agave?     click Why grow agave? 1) Shapes and textures to match your style. Hairy, soft, rigid, wavy, bayonet, porcupine, octopus many more. 2) Colors and patterns. Blue, gray, green, yellow, cream, tooth print, striped and gradient zebra patterns. 3) A size for your needs. Whether you have a sprawling courtyard or an empty windowsill, agaves vary from a mature height of only a few inches to trunked-up 20 footers. 4) Drought tolerance. Most varieties of agaves are some of the most drought tolerant plants on earth, often requiring a mild watering only a few times a year. 5) Carefree growing. Agaves have no leaves to drop, require little to no fertilizer, and grow very well in containers. 6) Eye catching appearance. Agave are primal in appearance and make quite the conversation piece. Any plant in your home is worth talking about, but agave, even after being around for thousands of years are still not very common (unless you live in Arizona) in land or patioscapes. 7) Sharing is caring. Sharing agave pups with friends and family is a great way to spread your growing passion. Most varieties will send out a few pups per year, however when they send up their flower spike you may be able to collect hundreds. 8) Great selection and availability. Urban Xeriscape offers one of the selections of agave anywhere. Weather you're a landscaper or simply looking for a carefree plant for your patio or sunroom, we can help. We are continually releasing new varieties, so if you don't see exactly what you are looking for check back in a few weeks or sign up for our newsletter for quick notification. (see all varieties currently available) ABOUT THIS AGAVE Blue, Black-spined Agave (agave macroacantha) – Macroacantha is a very distinctive agave forming clumps nearly 2 feet tall by 5 feet wide comprised of 10 to 16 inch wide individual plants. Plant rosettes have narrow blue-gray leaves that are evenly spaced and radiate straight out from the center of the plant. The leaves have very straight margins with contrasting small dark brown teeth and an even darker 1 inch long, extremely sharp terminal spine. The growth rate of Blue, Black-spined will vary greatly depending on soil type, sunlight, temperature and other factors. A few leaves are often trimmed prior to shipping to reduce transpiration and travel stress. QUICK SPECS OUTDOOR Zone 9a-11 PATIO Zone 4a-11 SOIL TYPE Rich Moist % SUN 80-100% POT SIZE 2x2x7″ Deep INCLUDES One Plant AGAVE CARE Agaves are easy to grow succulents with large rosettes of thick, fleshy leaves. Agaves are excellent houseplants that withstand more neglect than almost any other plant while flourishing in bright locations. In the xeriscape Agave grow happily in a pot or when planted directly in the ground. They add a wonderful accent to any outdoor space, garden or patio. In cooler zones a containerized Agave can be relocated indoors for the winter months. When you receive your new Agave, there is no need to worry about planting right away. Your new plant can be stored for a while by simply placing it in a tray and moving it to a shady location, simply water when dry. This will give you plenty of time to select the ideal location for your new Agave. CONTAINER SIZE All Agave varieties grow very well in containers, indoors or on the patio. Allow enough room for growth generally a 8″ to a 16″ diameter, 10″ deep container will suffice to get started. Remember the looser the roots, the taller and healthier your Agave will be. When the plant becomes root bound its growth will slow, at that point it is time for a larger pot. SOIL Blue, Black-spined Agave enjoy a well drained, organic cactus mix easily found at your local box store. Remember try to stay away from wet or mucky soils. FERTILIZER To help establish your new Blue, Black-spined Agave, fertilize sparingly a few inches away from the base, tri-annually with a slow time released product. Unfertilized they will tend to grow at a slower pace. Note: The heavy salts in cheaper fertilizers will damage the roots and possibly kill the plant. Its best to use a brand you know and trust. GROW ZONE & LIGHT Best outdoors if grown in zone 9a-11, find your zone here. This Agave requires 80-100% sunlight. Depending on your location full sun is often best. In the northern end of their grow zone Blue, Black-spined Agave should be brought indoors or protected during the winter months. The patio zone is 4b-11 which means the potted plant will flourish over the summer months in colder zones but must be brought inside before winter. BEFORE YOU PLANT OUTDOORS At the nursery these Agave are grown under 20-40% shade cloth. If you plant this Agave in a brightly lit area you may experience leaf burn. It is best to acclimate this plant to its environment by keeping it outside and slowly moving it into a sunny area over a week or two to avoid stress before planting. WHAT IS THE SHIPPING SIZE All Blue, Black-spined Agave for sale will vary in size. In the spring, plants are often smaller than plants shipped in the fall. Plants designated with a sku ending in -4, -6 or -8 will arrive in a standard 4 inch, 6 inch or 8 inch round growers pot respectively. Our new, reusable, recyclable deep plugs are 7 or 9 inches deep and 2 or 2.5 inches in width. Products growing in these pots are easy to transplant and allow for deeper roots and faster growth, they are designated with a sku ending in -7 or -9. (Note: The item sku number can be found just below the buy button.) The color and style of these pots may vary. If we are out of a particular size item, we may ship a larger size at no additional charge. For more information, click the “best packaging” link at the bottom of this page. Note: Before leaving, Agave are inspected, watered, and pruned. Larger plants, generally those that ship in 8″ pots, will be topped to 36″ or 48″ overall, depending on the variety, if necessary, to facilitate shipping. Your new plants’ pot is then bagged to ensure that the soil stays in the pot and not loose in the box. Plants are tissue or kraft paper wrapped and generally secured in place with natural biodegradable peanuts. You may want to order your Blue, Black-spined Agave (agave macroacantha) online now while they are in stock, supplies are limited. Zone.9a Zone.9b Zone.10a Zone.10b Zone.11a Zone.11b