Common Name: Schott's agave
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Asparagaceae
Zone: 6 to 10
Height: 1.00 to 2.00 feet
Spread: 2.00 to 4.00 feet
Bloom Time: May to August
Bloom Description: Yellow
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Medium
Flower: Showy
Leaf: Evergreen
Attracts: Hummingbirds
Other: Winter Interest
Tolerate: Drought, Dry Soil, Shallow-Rocky Soil
Growth Form: Clumping
Culture
Winter hardy to USDA Zones 9-11 where best growth occurs in sandy/gritty, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Tolerant of drought, but best growth occurs when soils receive even moisture during the growing season with significantly reduced moisture in winter. Avoid wet soils. Sharp soil drainage is important.
'Making Lemmons' is reportedly more cold hardy than the species, surviving in Zones 6-10.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Agave schottii, commonly called Schott's agave, is a clump-forming agave species native to the far southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico where it grows on grasslands, desert scrublands, and oak and juniper woodlands at elevations between 3000-6500 feet. Mature clumps will reach 1-2' tall and 2-4' wide, slowly expanding through offsets to form colonies. The individual rosettes are made up of densely packed, upright, narrow, succulent leaves that will reach around 8-15" long and 0.25-1" wide at the base. The leaf margins are typically lined with grayish white, thread-like bristles. The leaves bear short, brittle, terminal spines but are otherwise unarmed. A slender flowering scape reaching 5-8' tall or more will emerge from the center of mature rosettes from late spring through late summer. Yellow, fragrant, funnel-shaped, 1-1.5" long flowers bloom along the top 1/2 to 1/4 of the scape. The blooms are primarily pollinated by bats, but may also be visited by hummingbirds, moths, and bees. The individual rosettes are monocarpic, meaning that once they flower they will die back.
The genus name Agave comes from the Greek word agauos meaning "admirable" or "noble" in probable reference to the very tall flower spikes found on the plants of many species of Agave.
The specific epithet schottii honors Arthur Carl Victor Schott (1814-1875), German-American naturalist, ethnographer, and cartographer who surveyed and collected field data along the Mexico-Texas border.
'Making Lemmons' is a selection of Schott's agave from Mt. Lemmon, Arizona. It features incurved leaves with white marginal hairs.
Problems
Agave snout weevil can be troublesome. Slugs and snails may damage foliage. Root rot may occur, particularly in poorly-drained or overly-moist soils.
Uses
Small, clumping specimen for rock gardens, desert gardens, and xeriscaping. The leaves of this agave are bitter and are not typically used for food or beverage production. They are however high in saponins and can be used to make soap.