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Agavaceae
Agave havardiana
Harvard Agave, Harvard's Century Plant
The dense blue-green rosettes of Harvard's century plant are dramatic and structurally interesting in the landscape. This all-American native naturally exists in the David Mountains located in western Texas. It is an unusually hardy species that can withstand periods of freezing as long as growing conditions remain dry, particularly at the root zone.
The blue-green fleshy leaves of this century plant are large, cupped and heavily spined along the margins. The sharp black leaf tips are particularly fierce. Flowering only occurs when plants are mature and this takes 20 to 40 years. The yellowish flowers are bell-shaped and appear in branched clusters atop tall stems in summer. They are fragrant and attract lots of desert pollinators. The fruits are capsules that age to dark brown and split at maturity to reveal, flat, black, shiny seeds. Once a rosette flowers it dies, though many Agave leave behind suckering colonies of living rosettes, or “pups”, at the base of the parent plant. Lots of species also produce small plantlets on the flower stalk, called bulbils, which can fall to the ground, root and become new plants.
Plant Harvard's century plant in hot, full sun and nutrient-poor soil with sharp drainage. It will not tolerate any sustained moisture at the root zone, so be cautious not to overwater container-grown specimens. This perennial makes a great accent plant and looks impressive in large plantings with other mixed succulents. It is lovely in containers and makes a fine houseplant for sunny windows or conservatories. Wickedly sharp Agave like this should not be planted where children play because it can be quite dangerous.
5 - 10
2b, 3a, 3b, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Cactus or Succulent
Full Sun
2'-3' / 0.6m - 0.9m
Early Summer, Summer
Texas
Neutral
Well Drained
Sand
Drought
Slow
Xeric/Desert, Drought Tolerant
Rosette/Stemless
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Showy
Light Yellow, Ivory
Brown
Blue Green
Blue Green, Gray
Yes
No
Single
Bold
Matte
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Houseplant, Rock Garden / Wall
Birds
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