Agave parryi
| Parry's agave | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Agave parryi var. truncata, Mescal Agave | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asparagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Agavoideae |
| Genus: | Agave |
| Species: | A. parryi |
| Binomial name | |
| Agave parryi Engelm. | |
| Varieties | |
| |
Agave parryi, known as Parry's agave or mescal agave, is a slow-growing agave native to Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico.
The leaves are grey green and have a spine at the tip. One of the distinguishing features is that the point on the tip, which is typically dark tan, brown, or black, is darker than the leaf. Indentations of previous leaves show on the back of each leaf. The Huachuca variety grows in a rosette pattern as large as 2½ feet in diameter.
Because of its compact size, plus its low water use and low maintenance, Huachuca agave is considered a good landscaping plant for desert residential landscaping. It requires full sun. It is hardy to roughly -5 degrees Fahrenheit, though there are reports of specimens surviving temperatures at -20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Parry's Agave is evergreen. Aged agave produce a twelve-foot stalk with bright yellow blooms. They then die after blooming, as all leaf and root resources are put into the stalk, flowers, and seeds. It can be propagated by either offset or seed.
Varieties
- Agave parryi var. huachucensis, Huachuca Agave
- Agave parryi var. truncata, Mescal Agave
- Agave parryi var. couseii
External links
Media related to Agave parryi at Wikimedia Commons- USDA Forest Service: Parry's Agave (Agave parryi)
- Mescal Agave
- Arizona.edu: Agave parryi var. huachucensis — by the Master Gardeners of the University of Arizona Pima County Cooperative Extension.