Thread-leaf Agave
Agave filifera subsp. schidigera
| Characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Category | Desert Accent Plant |
| Size | 3' x 2' |
| Flower Color | Purple |
| Flower Season | Late Summer |
| Exposure | Full sun or filtered shade |
| Water | Supplemental irrigation during the hot, dry summer, but avoid watering it during the winter months |
| Growth Rate | |
| Hardiness | 15°F |
| Notes: | |
Description
This agave is admired for its decorative, dark-green to bronzy-green, sword-like, narrow foliage. The plant grows quickly to two feet tall and two to three feet wide. The foliage has white markings and fibers along the edges and a sharp point on the tip of the leaf. It is symmetrical in growth habit and well suited for containers. At maturity, in late summer, it produces a flower stalk that reaches eight feet or more with attractive purple blossoms that occur on the upper part of the stalk. The plant dies after blooming but can be re-propagated by seed or by the removal of a rare offset. Use it in masses or with other similar varieties, in tight spaces, patios, pots, or planted with other desert perennials. The variety ‘Durango Delight’ is a trademark plant from Starr Nursery in Tucson, Arizona. It is an attractive, smaller and more compact cultivar. The plant is native to Chihuahua, Durango, Sinaloa, and Sonora, Mexico growing from 4,500 to 7,500 feet.
Maintenance
It is tolerant of most soil, but needs adequate drainage. This agave is hardy to fifteen degrees Fahrenheit and is very drought-resistant. It will respond to a fertilizer application during the monsoon season and likes supplemental irrigation during the hot, dry summer. Avoid watering it during the winter months. The plant prefers full sun or filtered shade conditions. Treat it several times each year with an insecticidal drench for possible infestations of agave snout weevil.