Agave lophantha ‘Splendida’

Most agave are monocarpic, meaning that a head will grow larger and larger over time, building up energy, then send off a spectacular flower and afterward decline and die. Pupping varieties like this one grow from stolons at the base, constantly replacing the older bloomed out heads with new ones, which then grow larger and flower, continuing the life cycle.

You can 'pineapple' your agave, by removing the lowest leaves. This is best started while it is out of the nursery can, but before planting, when you can access leaves from the bottom. This gives the plant a short trunk, textured similar to many palms, and allows you to get under the plant for weeding or removing pups. This agave pups so vigorously that you may want to choose another, if you are not looking for a colony of agaves.

Agave, even very large ones, are surprisingly well suited to pot culture. Agave that would normally be ten feet in the ground tend to settle into even small pots and stay in harmonious balance. Every few years, if they start to stall, you can remove them and trim back a third of the roots and remove any pups. Sometimes they get very root bound and it can be beneficial to bottom water, setting them in a saucer of water for a day.

At maturity has a single thin twelve foot flower spike. This flower has the typical elongated stamens of the species and is quite attractive. This flowering signals the end of life of the individual rosette that it grows from.

When agave set pups they can easily be removed and propagated. It's best to do this once they start to establish and have some of their own roots.

As a suckering plant this agave makes an excellent 'home defense' tool when planted along a fence line or beneath windows. Plant two to three feet apart.