Agave attenuata (foxtail)

Japanese name: 初緑
Scientific name: Agave attenuata

[Overview]
An evergreen succulent with a rosette about 1 m across, a monocarpic plant that dies after flowering.
The leaves form a rosette, and as the plant grows and the old leaves fall, the stem becomes visible, reaching 0.5–1.5 m in height.
The leaves are ovate, 50–70 cm long and 12–16 cm wide, with pointed tips, fleshy, and tinged pale gray to pale yellowish green.
The leaf margins have no spines and are entire.
A spike-like raceme is borne on a flower stalk 3 m tall; the inflorescence usually curves strongly with its tip drooping and densely bears more than 10,000 flowers, which open in order from the bottom as it grows over many years.
The flowers are yellowish green to white, and the corolla is 6-lobed with tips that curl back.
There are 6 stamens, which project out of the flower.
The fruit is a capsule.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed, from bulbils formed on the inflorescence, or from offsets formed at the base of the rosette.
It can overwinter outdoors in areas without frost.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained, well-ventilated place.
It does better on the dry side, so rainfall is sufficient.
From spring to autumn, apply slow-release fertilizer placed on the soil.
When the lower leaves die, cut them off at the base.
Pests include spider mites and scale insects.

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