Agave picta

Donate now to support the LLIFLE projects.
Your support is critical to our success.

Since 4 Aug 2013

Agave picta Salm-Dyck
Bonplandia (Hannover) 7: 88. 1859
Family: AGAVACEAE

= Agave americana var. picta (Salm-Dyck) A.Terracc.
Prim. Contr. Monogr. Agave 41. 1885

Accepted Scientific Name: Agave americana L.
Sp. Pl. 1: 323. 1753 [1 May 1753] L.

Agave picta (Agave americana var. picta) Photo by: Flavio Agrosi
A nice form aslo known as: Agave ingens striata, Agave ingens tricolor, just to cite some of more common names.

Origin and Habitat: Garden origin. The wild species came from arid areas of Mexico.

Synonyms:

Agave americana var. picta (Salm-Dyck) A.Terracc.

Agave americana f. picta (Salm-Dyck) Voss in Vilm.
Agave ingens var. picta (Salm-Dyck) A.Berger
Agave longifolia var. picta (Salm-Dyck) Regel
Agave mexicana var. picta (Salm-Dyck) Cels
Agave milleri var. picta (Salm-Dyck) Van Houtte
Agave picta Salm-Dyck

See all synonyms of Agave americana

Description: The name Agave americanaSN|162]]SN|162]] var. picta (= Agave ingens) has been variously used to indicate a number of varieties, segregated largely on the basis of the yellow or whitish striations. This variegated forms are inconstant in their colour patterns. What should we call a variant that has a yellow central stripe (media-picta) and is also lined with yellow stripes along the margins is often called striata. These plants appear as inconstant changeable forms from one generation to the next and are hardly worth varietal designations. However, the names are convenient for agave fanciers, census takers, or others for distinguishing and discussing their collections and so on. A. picta is only a variety of Agave americanaSN|162]]SN|162]].

Subspecies, varieties, forms and cultivars of plants belonging to the Agave americana group

Agave americana L.: Solitary or slowly clumping grey-blue rosette up to 4 m wide up to 150-200 cm tall. The leaves are often refexed above the middle. Cultivated worldwide with several different variety.
Agave americana f. aureo-marginata hort.: Variegated cultivar with yellow stripes along the margins of each leaf.
Agave americana var. expansa (Jacobi) Gentry: has a short trunk up to 60 cm tall with grey-glaucous cross zoned leaves.
Agave americana f. medio-picta alba: Variegated cultivar with a broad white band down the centre of each leaf.
Agave americana var. oaxacensis Gentry: Has very large glaucous-white leaves with nearly straight margins. Leaves never reflexed. Cultivated form mainly in Oaxaca Valley.
Agave americana var. picta (Salm-Dyck) A.Terracc.: The name "picta" has been variously used to indicate a number of varieties, segregated largely on the basis of the yellow or whitish striations. This variegated forms are inconstant in their colour patterns.
Agave americana subs. protamericana Gentry: Regarded as the wild progenitor of the cultivated Agave americana differs in its greater variability in form, spination and colour of the leaves which generally are shorter, compact and wider.
Agave americana subs. protamericana cv. Blue Steel: has beautiful steel-blue, tight, upright, leaves with wider blade than some clones.
Agave americana var. striata Trel. in L.H.Bailey: Variegated cultivar with multiple yellow to white stripes along the leaves.
Agave cv. Cornelius: small monstrous and strongly variegated form with gorgeous wide creamy-yellow margins on blue-green undulating spidery foliage.

More...

Bibliography: Major references and further lectures
1) Gentry, H. S. “Agaves of continental North America.” 1982.

Cultivation and Propagation: This is a very nice cultivar but it is relatively slow to grow and propagate, it tend to do less well than the standard blue-grey species plant, hence the price. They do well in full sun or a lightly shaded area.
In winter watering this plant can be done once every 1-2 months, there is no need to mist the leaves. Agave americanaSN|162]]SN|162]] is theoretically hardy to -9° C , particularly when dry but this cultivar is more tender and it is best to avoid severe freezing temperatures.
Propagation: Exclusively by suckers Remove the basal suckers (if available) in spring or summer and let the cuttings dry for a few days before inserting in compost.
Use:: These striking plants are wonderful when used for accent or simply to provide some all year round foliage colour and often used in a pot as a patio plant, they make an eye-catching statement and along with other evergreen plants in pots, can be moved around to change the scenery or position to give more shelter.

More...

Your Actions
	Back to Agave index
	Back to Agavaceae index
	Back to Succulents Encyclopedia index

Cite this page: "Agave picta" Text available under a CC-BY-SA Creative Commons Attribution License. www.llifle.com 14 Nov. 2005. 10 Jul 2025. </Encyclopedia/SUCCULENTS/Family/Agavaceae/196/Agave_picta>