Looking at Plants
Agave angustifolia ‘Marginata’
Agave angustifolia ‘Marginata’
COMMON NAMES
Variegated Caribbean Agave
Agave (uh-GAY-vee) – from Greek for admirable, in reference to the admirable appearance of the plant in flower
angustifolia (an-gus-tih-FO-lee-uh) – having narrow leaves
‘Marginata’ – cultivar name, in reference to white-striped leaf margins
GROUP
Monocot
FAMILY
Some taxonomists put in Agavaceae and others put in Asparagaceae
ORIGIN
Mexico
DESCRIPTION
Variegated Caribbean Agave is an evergreen cactus-like shrub that averages 3 to 4 feet in height with a comparable spread. It has a roundish form with sharply spined leaves. It will produce numerous pups or offsets. It has a slow growth rate.
Leaves are a tight rosette arrangement, evergreen, stiff, linear in shape, simple, 2 to 3 feet in length and about 2 inches wide, and light green with bands of white on the margins. The spiny edged leaves end in a very sharp terminal spine.
The white to yellowish flowers are borne in panicles at the end of an 8 to 10 foot long spike that signals the death of the plant, though it continues to live via the numerous pups or offsets it produces.
HARDINESS
Hardy in USDA Zones 9 to 11, down to about 25 degrees F.
LIGHT
Full sun/part shade.
SALT
Good Salt Spray Tolerance – it will grow near the shore but will benefit from a little protection such as behind the first row of plantings or behind the first dunes.
SOIL
It will grow on a wide variety of well-drained soils, generally within the pH range of 6.0 to 8.0. It doesn’t like wet soils.
WATERING
Once established, it has very high drought tolerance, usually only requiring a drink every couple of weeks. During cooler weather it can often get by with whatever nature provides; however, supplemental water will keep it healthier.
PROPAGATION
Division of offsets
PRUNING
Fortunately, little is ever required, because it is quite dangerous with the spines. If you’ve inherited one that’s near a traffic area, consider at least taking off the terminal spine.
FERTILIZING
It has no special fertilizer needs. Unless a soil test suggests otherwise, a balanced analysis fertilizer applied per the product label will work.
PESTS
Snails - University of California
Black Thread Scale - University of Florida
Boisduval Scale - University of Florida
DISEASES
Anthracnose - University of California in moist environment, especially in shadier spots
Root rots - University of Wisconsin in overly wet soils
DEER
Resistant
There are very few totally “deer-proof” plants. There are also, relatively speaking, few plants that are considered a preferred food supply of deer. Most plants fall in the big gap between. One of the biggest variables is the available preferred food supply in a given area. If their preferred food is scarce, they will munch on most anything.
OTHER
USES
Specimen or accent plant, cactus or rock gardens, xeriscapes
Don’t plant near traffic areas where the spines would be an issue – in some areas, they are actually planted as a live fence or barricade.
University of California gives Agave spp. a listing of:
2. Minor Toxicity: Ingestion of these plants may cause minor illnesses such as vomiting or
diarrhea. If ingested, call the Poison Control Center or your doctor.
3. Oxalates: The juice or sap of these plants contains oxalate crystals. These needle-shaped
crystals can irritate the skin, mouth, tongue, and throat, resulting in throat swelling, breathing
difficulties, burning pain, and stomach upset. Call the Poison Control Center or your doctor if
any of these symptoms appear following ingestion of plants.
4. Dermatitis: The juice, sap, or thorns of these plants may cause a skin rash or irritation. Wash
the affected area of skin with soap and water as soon as possible after contact. The rashes may
be very serious and painful. Call the Poison Control Center or your doctor if symptoms
appear following contact with the plants.
California Poison Control gives Agave americana, a close relative, a listing of:
1 - Dermal Skin - contact with these plants can cause symptoms ranging from redness, itching, and rash to painful blisters like skin burns.
3 – Moderate - Ingestion of these plants is expected to cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms that may cause illness but is not life-threatening.
Merck Vet Manual says of Agave americana, a close relative: Sap contains calcium oxalate crystals; saponins and acrid volatile oil in leaves and seeds. On ingestion, causes dermal and oral mucosal irritation and edema.