An Agave Report, October 2018 — Part I

It's that time again, time when I start looking at my garden and wondering what winter holds. The official word is things should be pretty darn mild (for example here's what Paul Bonine of Xera Plants has to say), but of course reality doesn't always match up with the predictions, only time will tell. I filed my last Agave Report on January 5th, 2018. Here's the current state of the in-ground Agaves...


This trio (Agave NOID on the left, a pair of A. parryi on the right) is up against the driveway and the front of the house. Protected, great drainage, but a touch more shade than is ideal, at least when my car is in the driveway.

Agave bracteosa, hardly grown at all, it just doesn't get much summer water. What water I do give it runs right off and into the driveway.

Further down the same area (the A. bracteosa from above is to the right of the Yucca rostrata "poof", above the rock)...

This A. ovatifolia 'Frosty Blue' went in the ground spring of 2017.

It replaced a severely damaged A. americana (which has since recovered).

This corner makes me really happy.

Agave protamericana 'Silver Surfer', behind Lavandula allardii 'Meerlo', a plant I somehow managed to believe was hardy here. Nope, it's a Zone 9 plant. We'll see how it looks come spring.

Inching a little north, along the front sidewalk...

Another Agave bracteosa, twins actually.

And A. parryi 'JC Raulston' with pups. there are three, only one is really visable.

More A. parryi 'JC Raulston'... cause they're so good! These three plants are looked at close-up in the photos that follow, a little confusing I know, it makes it seem a little like I have twice the plants, of course that wouldn't be a bad thing...

A. parryi 'JC Raulston'

Lots of "Raulston" pups, and a small A. parryi var. couesii (the pointy one).

A parryi 'JC Raulston' pup...

Yes, another parryi 'JC Raulston' — those brown bulls-eye dots on the leaves are damage from winter 2016/17. That was the winter than never wanted to end, snow and ice and ice and snow and then rain for 3 months solid, yuck.

Yep, you guessed it, another...A. parryi 'JC Raulston'...

This was a rescue, I think it's an Agave protamericana.

Lots-o-spikes!

Agave ocahui, in the front.

Agave ovatifolia, not 'Frosty Blue', I think all my others are "frosty"...

An unlabeled pair that came attached, I tried to separate them, but they weren't having it.

The last parryi 'JC Raulston'...

Agave ovatifolia, poor thing gets shaded out by the ever increasing Arctostaphylos behind it.

Up near the house...

Agave ovatifolia 'Frosty Blue'

The smaller of the pair (by a hair), and a little further north — not so frequently photographed as the one right by the front door.

The star of the front garden, currently embraced by Amsonia hubrichtii.

On the south side of the front steps...

Agave parryi 'RBG'

Agave lechuguilla

Agave salmiana var. ferox, pup from a plant in Scottsdale, AZ (right) and Agave salmiana (?), pup I dug from a plant here in Portland (left, details here). These aren't in the ground, but I plan to leave them here in their containers for the winter. A test of sorts...

Agave toumeyana v. bella, a gift from Gerhard that seems to have finally taken hold.

A. utahensis v. utahensis, finally looking like it recovered from winter 2016/17.

Agave americana var. protoamericana

Agave montana 'Baccarat'

We've walked up the driveway now and are looking at the holding stock-tank of spikes. Once the SPG (shade pavilion greenhouse) is complete I think most of these will be tucked in there for the winter.

The big guy was given to me as Agave weberi, the smaller container chock-full of Agaves are all A. americana. The largest one I mentioned at the top of this post, it was knocked back hard and replaced by an A. ovatifolia. The surrounding pups are from it, and a couple of other plants. I really need to do something with them, they deserve better than this...

Tomorrow Part II, the back garden...

Weather Diary, Oct 21: Hi 69, Low 40/ Precip 0

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