Monday, April 23, 2012

Another enormous Agave! (here in Portland)...

Back when I posted pictures of this garden visit and called this Agave…
…”the biggest in Portland” I heard from several people who were certain there was an even bigger one, and they told me where to find it.

I finally made a visit…
Yes it is huge! But truth be told I think they’re pretty darn close in size.

Both fabulous though, and most interestingly both of them seem to be the same kind of Agave. While we know (via of this garden and this one) that Agave parryi is reliably hardy here in Portland, this agave (whatever it is?) is appears to be equally so…and much bigger! Something else I noticed in this garden was the black tube which appears to be draining moisture away from the base of the large Agave, can you see it?...
Even harder to see this (to the left of the leaf and above the green Sedum) is where the tube emerges from the soil and groundcover. Perhaps an ingenious bit of moisture wicking engineering?

Here's a view of the rest of the garden, there is a fabulous Eucalyptus anchoring what appears to be a patio at the top on the slope...
And a sweet Palm next to the door.

Another shot of the Eucalyptus and Agaves…

And the Sedum covered rocks.
Finally exciting news to share! That other monster Agave in the "Mediterranean garden"? (pictured at the top of this post) Well I am now the proud owner of two of its offspring! If success is in the genes then I’m already a step ahead with these…
Maybe now (fingers crossed) someday (God willing) I can join the Portland Big Agave Club!

38 comments:

  1. That is a stunning specimen and rightfully deserves such pride of place. But with such size wherever it was placed/planted it would inevitably be a focal point. The ribbed plastic tubing, I wonder if it was for drainage purposes that was placed near it when it was younger/smaller. Not necessarily for this plant but for something else, just that the agave encroached it as it grew...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your comment about the tube got me thinking...maybe it has something to do with the deck above?

      Delete
  2. If anyone should be a card-carrying member of the Big Agave Club Loree, it's you. All you need now is a huge slope...just kidding; you grow agaves beautifully at the danger garden!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Jane but as you will see in today's post all of mine are just tiny things!

      Delete
  3. Oh my goodness. That is insane!!!! The agave eucalyptus combo is stunning. I want! And it's so happy to see you have two of the babies from the med. garden!! I hope someone can give a positive ID and that I can get my hands on one!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If mine grow on and live happy productive lives maybe someday I can give you a pup?

      Delete
  4. Ps.... Do you notice theres a mediterranean fan palm at the base of the Trachycarpus fortunei!!!!!? Epic!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah good eye! I used to have a mediterranean fan palm, it was beautiful. Then it died.

      Delete
  5. There is so much interest and color on this slope. I was just reminded of a yard here in Tallahassee that has these huge agave...I just made a note to go by there and photograph it. Perhaps I can speak with the owner, I thinks it's a type of shelter. I pretty sure you will be in the Portland Big Agave Club before you know it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope to see pictures of this huge agave on your blog soon!

      Delete
  6. Also, thank you for IDing the pieris japonica, I'll ask Ms. Doris if it's the same as yours. Don't know that I will ever be able to give up the sights and smells of color on flowers, but your enthusiasm towards spiky plants is contagious and your ideas in how to incorporate them into the gardens is very inspiring!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am so happy to hear you're enjoying the spikes, and I do love flowers...really! I've got a post on flowers coming up later this week to prove it!

      Delete
  7. So how long until they reach that size? 10 years? 20? Just wondering if I'll be "reading" about it through my neural implant or will it still be on a computer. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Excellent question...I'm thinking that size is in about 10 years, depending of course how large it was when planted. No doubt a stretch of hot summers (unlike our last two) help it put on growth.

      Delete
  8. Wow, not only an awesome agave, but I really like the overall planting scheme. It's eclectic, and that's exactly my gardening style (if I had to label it).

    Your agave looks to me like a form of Agave americana. There appears to be a lot of variation within A. americana. What do you think?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've had a lot of people say no to that one, in fact I've heard a ton about how not hardy A. americana are. Of course as BSG below mentions there is Agave americana var. protamericana...and it should be hardy "enough." Other possibilities include Agave salmina and Agave salmina var. ferox.

      Delete
    2. Agave salmiana is an excellent guess!

      Delete
  9. Loree.....I believe them to be Agave americana var. protamericana, which do fine into zone 7. Those plants are outstanding, wish they were at my house.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was just reading about that one somewhere (which I could remember where) and thought that might be a possibility. How about if you take this house and Agave and I'll take the other one?

      Delete
  10. That is a beautiful garden with all the color and texture.

    To me it looks like A. americana, the one we always called century plant. In my neighborhood they grow quickly and top out around 9'. Very hardy, they are among the few here that survived our infamous three day freezing rain followed by snow episode and the 15F lows. My neighbor waters his so they might be okay in your wet season too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Funny that you mention your neighbor watering hers! Such a funny mental picture. As I wrote above I've heard much about A. americanas not being hardy...but the temps you describe as well as the ones I know my in-laws in NM have seen certainly sound like a tough test.

      Delete
  11. Hot dang. That is one gorgeous hillside. I want to know what that stunning yellow-leaved tree is in the 8th photo. A Sambucus maybe? I can see two beady eyes looking out from that pipe thing. I think of you every time I drive past a HUGE Agave 'Century Plant' you know, the ones with the yellow variegation? It's growing next to a house here in Corvallis next to a bunch of Prickly Pear Cactus. I'm going to park and walk over one of these days and get photos. It might rival your green Agaves here in size.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes!!! Photos please! As for your yellow tree I went back to my original photo and zoomed in on it. Don't think it's a Sambucus as the leaves are simple. I am clueless!

      Delete
  12. I always forget just HOW big they can get! The drain pipe is a good idea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Handy rule of thumb as far as possible Agave size...my car!

      Delete
  13. I agree with S. Fox on A. americana.

    What I like in your area's "can do" attitude with plants, is the delight in the successes of others, not explaining it away. Like "an ingenious bit of moisture wicking engineering?", not "he's lucky...that's why he can do that...not hardy."

    You Cascadians are so funny and so refreshing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Uhm...us Cascadians huh? Funny to think of us all as a group. Although I guess you have hit something when it comes to how we are about plants. I still love to hear the reactions of visitors when they see the profusion of plants in these parts. Sure we've got plenty of boring front yard lawns but there are so many people here who let the plants take over. I forget how rare that is elsewhere.

      Delete
  14. Aw...look how little and cute it is. Silly Oregonians. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey there Mr California Pants...I've seen my fair share of large Agaves (maybe more than my fair share actually) and both of these are indeed large, by any standards not just the Oregon ones. For reals.

      Delete
  15. The giant Agaves look right at home in the first garden. In the second, perched among all the fluffy stuff, not so much. I am sure yours will be used to great advantage, Your Royal Spikiness.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you might feel differently if you saw it "in real life"...somehow it works.

      "Your Royal Spikiness"....hehehe

      Delete
  16. Your love for agaves has inspired me to want one too...now I just need to figure out how to make it work in our cottage style garden. I LOVE your shade structure! Did you guys make that? Well done!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! Agaves for everyone!

      Yes the husband designed and built it. Unfortunately when he looks at it he sees all the "defects" (things he wishes he would have done differently) whereas everyone else sees an amazing end product.

      Delete
  17. I think I've died and gone to Agave heaven. If I saw that in person I'd probably just sit and stare for about 5 hours. The whole garden is just beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was tempted to, but then it started raining REALLY hard and I ran for my car.

      Delete
  18. That's a beautiful garden, and not just because it has a nice big agave in it. I really like how they cloaked their boulders and steep slope in all those softening, colorful plants.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I managed to drive by at just the right time too, if there wasn't so much blooming it wouldn't have been so dramatic.

      Delete
  19. It could also be a really,really big example of Agave havardiana x scabra. The folding of the leaves makes me think it might be, and that (natural) hybrid would probably be completely hardy in Portland.
    That first garden is the kind of garden I wish I had ....

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to comment. Comment moderation is on (because you know: spam), I will approve and post your comment as soon as possible!