Common Name: century plant
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Asparagaceae
Zone: 7 to 10
Height: 2.00 to 3.00 feet
Spread: 2.00 to 3.00 feet
Bloom Time: June to August
Bloom Description: Greenish to yellowish white
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Dry
Maintenance: Low
Flower: Showy
Tolerate: Drought, Dry Soil, Shallow-Rocky Soil
Culture
Best grown in full sun to part shade and dry, well-draining soil. Will tolerate a wide range of sun conditions, from full sun to deep shade, but best performance is with full morning sun and dappled, light afternoon shade. Tolerant of heat, drought and is cold hardy in Zones 8-11. Propagate through division of suckers in spring.
'Octopussy' features improved cold tolerance compared to the species and is hardy to Zone 7. Plant in a protected location or warm microclimate for improved survivability
Noteworthy Characteristics
Agave bracteosa, commonly known as squid agave or spider agave, is a slow-growing, herbaceous perennial succulent native to limestone cliffsides and steep, rocky slopes in the deserts and dry shrublands of northern Mexico from Coahuila east through Nuevo León to Tamaulipas. Mature plants are made up of 1.5-2' long, narrow, lanceolate, fleshy leaves that form an urn-shaped rosette reaching 1-1.5' tall and 1.5-2' wide. The leaf tips of are usually strongly recurved, and the leaf margins are minutely serrated but lack the sharp spines of other agaves. Will form slowly expanding colonies from offsets. In summer, mature rosettes (10 or more years old) will send up a 3-6' tall, unbranched flowering spike. The spike is covered in filamentous bracts and the top third or so is densely covered in flowers, giving the inflorescence a bottlebrush-like appearance. The flowers feature 2" long, protruding style and stamens and 0.5" long greenish or yellowish white tepals. The flowers are highly attractive to insect pollinators. This agave species is monocarpic, meaning that individual rosettes will die after flowering.
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 bracteosa means "bract-bearing" and refers to the filamentous bracts that cover the inflorescence.
The common names squid agave and spider agave both describe the long, narrow, arching leaves and fountain or urn shaped rosettes of this species
'Octopussy' is a selection of squid agave that features extra large, robust rosettes of foliage and improved cold tolerance compared to the species. Mature rosettes can reach 3' tall with an equal width.
Problems
No major pest or disease problems. Root rot can occur in poorly drained soils.
Uses
Rock gardens, desert gardens, xeriscaping, containers.