Tuesday 27 August 2013

Are agave hybrids the future?

It is has been a while since a longer post on the agaves, so thought it was time to rectify that.  Looking around the plants I realised how many agave hybrids had found their way in. It seems recently 50% of the agaves I buy are hybrids. I guess with more coming on the market all the time it is no surprise.


My first, as with many people was x nigra (or 'Sharkskin' as they call it in the US).


Very pleased with the little offset forming on this as well. It isn't growing as quickly as when it was planted, but hopefully will have it back in the ground next year.

Next up was A. 'Blue Glow'.  (thought to be A. ocahui x  attenuata), this is still small, but that is the size they come in the UK, it is almost, if not impossible to get any bigger.


A. 'Red Margin' (A. attenuata x shawii) is a sort of poor cousin to the 'Blue Glow'


Another common on is A. 'Royal Spine' (A. macroacantha x victoriae-reginae), this one doesn't seem to grow at all.  It has done better in the greenhouse though, so one day it will be the plant the photos promise.


Then last of the official ones so to speak was the A. Mateo (suspected to be A. bracteosa x lophantha)


Then the fun started with new plants randomly found or from seeds a friend had been sent.

A. macroacantha x applanata has amazing colour to it. This should be stunning in a few years.


A. isthemensis x colimana


One of my favourites is A. filifera x isthmensis (there were obviously lots of isthmensis in flower a few years back). It was tiny when it arrived and has taken 3 years to get to this size. 


Another that has really come into its own this summer is  A. victoria reginae x polyacantha var xalapensis.


I'm sure there are more in the garden hiding, but that's enough for now. We need to move on to the hybrids with manfredas giving mangaves. The most common being what is usually called 'Bloodspot' (suspected to be an A. macroacantha hybrid x M. maculosa)


Of course with manfredas flowering every year there are more and more of these, one of my favourites at the moment is M. maculosa x A. polyacantha var xalapensis


Right that is it for now.  Hopefully I got all the parents right (not to mention the spelling). I am sure there will be many more in the future, hopefully maybe even my own at some point.  It is good enough producing a hybrid from fast growing plants, to get hybrids from plants that take so long to flower would be even better.

So do you have any agave hybrids?

2 comments:

  1. Fabulous! The photo of the A. macroacantha x applanata isn't showing up though, I see another of the 'bloodspot' instead.

    Glad to hear someone else is experiencing show growth on their 'royal spine'...

    (oh and I'm not ignoring your question about hybrids, I just have too many to know where to start!)

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    Replies
    1. Didn't spot that. I have corrected it now.

      Royal spine, seems painfully slow.

      And you have enough to do your own entry on your great blog.

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