Agave parryi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Parry's agave
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Varieties
A. p. var. parryi Parry's agave A. p. var. truncata Mescal agave A. p. var. huachucensis Fort Huachuca agave

Agave parryi, known as Parry's agave or mescal agave, is a flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae. It is a slow-growing succulent perennial 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 °F (−21 °C), though there are reports of specimens surviving temperatures at −20 °F (−29 °C).

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.

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.

Varieties

• Agave parryi var. huachucensis, Huachuca agave
• Agave parryi var. truncata, Mescal agave
• Agave parryi var. couseii

Subspecies

• Agave parryi subsp. parryi
• Agave parryi subsp. neomexicana (Wooton & Standl.) B.Ullrich

See also

In Spanish: Agave parryi para niños