Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Mr Big, he’s my favorite plant in the garden – this week…

Mr. Big is an Agave Americana ‘Variegata’ and he is a survivor. I bought him at Rare Plant Research in 2007.
(photo compilation from a post about Rare Plant Research done in May of 2009)

He pre-dates the shade pavilion greenhouse (spg) and spent his first couple of winters staying dry in our unheated, detached garage. I’d open the door on dry weekends and wheel him out for a few hours of light (there is only a small window in the garage, on the north side of the building). He spent summer vacations on the patio...
(photo from September of 2009)

His arms froze solid in the horrid winter of 2009/10 (in the garage)...

I took these photos the day we started to warm up from that week-long deep freeze, his arms were sort of glowing as they defrosted...

Here he is after moving into the new winter digs the first year of the spg (2010), as you can see an amputation was about to occur to that arm on the left.

So enough of the trip down memory lane. Here’s Mr. Big today, or well - a couple of days ago, as you can see his form has changed a little over the years. He’s still my biggest agave but instead of the log twisty arms one usually sees on an Agave Americana ‘Variegata’ he’s developed shorter wider arms.

Agave Americana ‘Variegata’ aren’t known for being particularly cold hardy, and the ones I’ve grown in the ground suffer from the cold and wet of our winters. However Mr. Big has managed to survive through it all and now gets to winter-over in the relatively desert-like dry and warm sp greenhouse. Here we’re peaking in through the back wall of the spg (that's why the pictures are so hazy), which in its new form has been running a good 20 degrees warmer than the outside air during the cold-snap (of course that’s with a small space heater running pretty much non-stop once the outside temp dropped below freezing).

The stats:
  • hardy in USDA zones 8a-11
  • eventual size in the ground 2-6ft tall, 4-12 ft wide
  • needs well drained soil and at least partial sun exposure
  • as with most agaves it is monocrapic and will die after blooming, of course usually producing quantities of pups which will live on.

I’ve promised Mr. Big a root-pruning and a new orange container come spring, I'll also remove the 4 pups he's produced. I won’t lie I’m not looking forward to the job, it’s gonna be painful. Oh, which reminds me of this patch of A. Americana ‘Variegata’ I found in Fillmore, CA. The owner of the shop behind the agaves said he liked them because they provided a natural security system. Nobody is dumb enough to climb through a patch of spiky agaves, hopefully.

All material © 2009-2013 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

20 comments:

  1. So sweet that he's stayed with you through it all! What a cool agave.

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    1. I do have one that's been with me even longer (11 years) , gosh I might have to start watching that one for signs of a bloom.

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  2. I imagine it's nice having some spg walls that Mr. Big can't poke through, right? Moving the big guy around must be a challenge -- how much does the whole thing weigh, and how do you actually move it without severe injury (to your own body I mean)?

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    1. Indeed, he was particularly destructive last year creating 2 or 3 punctures. I don't know how much it weighs, besides to say a lot. We've always moved it with the pot lifter (a wonderful thing - http://www.potlifter.com) but this year Andrew built a custom version that allows the people to stay even further away from the spikes. It works well, except for the fact it's made of wood and chain (instead of plastic) adds to the weight.

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  3. I know people who grow Bougainvillea to provide the same kind of natural security system. My selection this week is decidedly less spiky (as usual): http://krispgarden.blogspot.com/2013/12/my-favorite-plant-this-week-melaleuca.html

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    1. Funny I always forget bougainvillea has those spikes. It just looks so soft and sweet.

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  4. Apparently growing it in a pot gives it a better chance of sailing through winter in climates similar to yours and ours, as they defrost quicker plus having a better drainage, as opposed to being planted out. Mr. Big is doing well and being grown could be helping him loads :)

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    1. Yesterday I while doing another round of inspection for cold damage I noticed everyone of my in-ground Agave Americana ‘Variegata’ looked just horrid. Poor things.

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  5. What cool names you have for your faves...will those be baby bigs?

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  6. I'm glad handsome Mr. Big is doing well. I prefer the habit of this one's leaves over mine. I've got it in the ground and they've gone a bit too curly and wacky and have sun damage at the points where the leaf bends.
    Here is my favourite: http://crmbsgrdn.blogspot.com.au/2013/12/my-favourite-plant-in-garden-this-week_12.html

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    1. Ah yes, that sun damage can be kind of ugly. I do have to watch out for sunburn when I bring the captives up out of the basement. No matter how careful I am there is always one that gets it bad.

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  7. Mr. Big is looking good and probably big enough if you have to move him around a lot. I like the variegated and should probably add one next year.

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    1. You should, and no doubt yours will be a big curly monster in no time.

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  8. If anyone deserves to be rewarded for their diligence, it's you, Miss. Fingers crossed for your babies...

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  9. fifi lafontaineDecember 11, 2013

    Wow, that guy is a beaut! I've always wanted one of those. They remind me of old fashioned striped candy.

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    1. Rare Plant Research in May fifi, and now I too will think of old fashioned striped candy when I see them!

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  10. I like him, what a nice agave!!

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