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Agave xleopoldii finally flowers
Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 11:09 am
by Colin Walker
My largest plant of
Agave xleopoldii is finally strutting its stuff.
This has been a show winner and has featured in
CW twice, initially as a Presidential Potted Plant back in 2018.
Last year it showed signs of flowering with the centre of the rosette shortening its leaves.
Then bizarrely one of the offsets has flowered.
And now finally the main rosette is flowering.
It's produced a few offsets over the years so all is not lost, but after flowering the main plant can make way for something new, especially since it's in a very attractive, large glossy black glazed ceramic pan.
Re: Agave xleopoldii finally flowers
Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 11:27 am
by el48tel
An interesting looking plant
Re: Agave xleopoldii finally flowers
Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 6:44 pm
by edds
Looking forward to seeing how that one looks in full flower Colin. Do you know if it will set seed as a hybrid? I understand many Agave hybrids are still fertile.
Re: Agave xleopoldii finally flowers
Posted: Sat Jun 25, 2022 7:55 am
by Colin Walker
edds wrote: ↑Fri Jun 24, 2022 6:44 pm
Looking forward to seeing how that one looks in full flower Colin. Do you know if it will set seed as a hybrid? I understand many Agave hybrids are still fertile.
Since this is already a hybrid I've no interest in producing seed. Also this is the only agave in flower here right now.
But for sure I'll post regular updates as the spike develops.
First off is the plant in all its glory a few years back around 60 cm across. Sorry for the uncropped pic.
Re: Agave xleopoldii finally flowers
Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2022 9:24 am
by Colin Walker
A week later and the spike is now 45 cm tall and growing fast.
Re: Agave xleopoldii finally flowers
Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2022 10:04 am
by Stuart
Agave Leopoldii has an optimum size when it looks really good, with short leaves and distinct curly filiaments. This is about 6ins across when it makes a perfect sales plant. After that it starts to lose its looks and the leaves get longer and the filiaments a bit scraggy. Mine went under the staging and I didn't notice it had flowered until the flower was over. The flower stem was curled around where it hit the underside of the staging. There's a nice variegated form 'Hammer Time' (nothing to do with Steve) but even that has an optimum size. It's not easily available nowadays as the only lady who could reliably produce variegated Agaves from tissue culture is now only producing smaller quantities for one retail nursery. While normal Agaves will grow easily from tissue culture it doesn't work well with variegates.
Stuart
Re: Agave xleopoldii finally flowers
Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2022 11:55 am
by Colin Walker
Stuart wrote: ↑Sat Jul 02, 2022 10:04 am
Agave Leopoldii has an optimum size when it looks really good, with short leaves and distinct curly filiaments. This is about 6ins across when it makes a perfect sales plant. After that it starts to lose its looks and the leaves get longer and the filiaments a bit scraggy. Mine went under the staging and I didn't notice it had flowered until the flower was over. The flower stem was curled around where it hit the underside of the staging. There's a nice variegated form 'Hammer Time' (nothing to do with Steve) but even that has an optimum size. It's not easily available nowadays as the only lady who could reliably produce variegated Agaves from tissue culture is now only producing smaller quantities for one retail nursery. While normal Agaves will grow easily from tissue culture it doesn't work well with variegates.
Stuart
My main plant at 50 - 60 cm across still looked great and won show prizes. But last year it started the slow process of flowering and certainly then lost its appeal.
I too have the variegate 'Hammer Time' and that too looks good, although I only have a single smallish plant of this, which is much slower growing than the standard plant and in my hands doesn't offset as much.
Re: Agave xleopoldii finally flowers
Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2022 11:57 am
by Tina
Looking good Colin,
Re: Agave xleopoldii finally flowers
Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2022 8:09 am
by Colin Walker
Re: Agave xleopoldii finally flowers
Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2022 8:43 am
by Colin Walker
Now 95 cm tall so that's grown 15 cm in just two days.
.
I've decided not to move this outdoors since I really don't think this is going to hit the conservatory roof. One description I found gave the spike height as 5.5 feet = 1.65 m which can be accommodated where it is.
The buds are developing slowly.