Agave lophantha

Quadricolor Century Plant, Striped Agave

(2 customer reviews)

A colourful and eye-catching Agave from Texas and Mexico where it grows on sandy hills and limestone formations. A variable species, it has leaves with longitudinal stripes in contrasting bright shades of yellow, light and dark green, best maintained in full sunshine.

Undemanding and super-easy to care for, it can be grown in the bright conservatory or in a sunny corner of the garden where, if kept quite dry over the winter, it should tolerate -7c. In hot, dry weather additional water will maximise growth, and new plants can be propagated from offsets.

Want to be notified when this product is back in stock?

1 other customer is also waiting for this plant.
Origin: Texas & Mexico
Genus: Agave
Species / Cultivar: lophantha
Common Name: Quadricolor Century Plant, Striped Agave
Synonym: Agave lophantha var. univittata

Plant Biography

The provenance of this species is somewhat mixed and confusing. In the wild it grows in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, and in Mexico, where its foliage is a plain blue/green. In cultivation however, and as a result of hybridisation, it is available a wide range of colours and stripes, quite different from its wild form.
The plant is not big, though its flowering spike can grow to 12 or 13 feet.

Agave lophantha
Soil: Well drained
Soil that does not show much signs of moisture, either visibly or when handled.
Growth Rate: Slow
This plant is particularly slow to grow, even during growing season.
Water Requirement: Low
Will grow in a drier position and is unlikely to need regular watering once established.
Maintenance: A little
Easy to look after but may occasionally require some attention in order to thrive.
Situation: Full Sun
Wants direct, unfiltered sunlight most of the day, such as a south facing position.
Eventual Height: 0.6m
The plant's ultimate height in typical growing conditions.
Eventual Spread: 0.6m
The plant's ultimate spread in typical growing conditions.
Hardiness: Half Hardy
Will need protection from frosts in order to survive winter, eg. with fleece jacket.
Habit: Evergreen
Always in leaf throughout the year. It won't lose all its leaves at any one time.

Expert Tip

Bright sunshine will not only improve growth, it will emphasise the lovely colours of this rare agave
Care & Size Guidance

Care & Size Guidance

Agave ovatifolia can be grown outside year-round in the milder parts of the UK, planted in full sun and free-draining soil. Otherwise, it is also possible to grow this Agave in a pot and move it to a greenhouse, conservatory or other sheltered well-lit spot during the colder winter months.

Agaves are capable of flowering, though they are only capable of flowering once as they die after their bloom is over. Luckily they can only flower in maturity and reaching maturity can take decades, with many Agaves having a typical lifespan of 10-30 years, and they produce offsets of new plants after their death.
beautiful plant but goodness those spines! Hook-like on the edges of the leaves and a hypodermic needle on the end! But really these extras just add personality to this already striking, strong, and colourful plant. I love it – but will be extremely careful when it comes to placement and re-potting!!!

Julie R.

beautiful plant but goodness those spines! Hook-like on the edges of the leaves and a hypodermic needle on the end! But really these extras just add personality to this already striking, strong, and colourful plant. I love it – but will be extremely careful when it comes to placement and re-potting!!!

2 customer reviews for Agave lophantha

Magnificent plant. Dotting them around in the newly designed arid garden, they truly make a statement.

admx_rtudor –

beautiful plant but goodness those spines! Hook-like on the edges of the leaves and a hypodermic needle on the end! But really these extras just add personality to this already striking, strong, and colourful plant. I love it – but will be extremely careful when it comes to placement and re-potting!!!

Julie R. –

Related products