Agave attenuata Spineless Century Plant1
Introduction
More common in California landscapes than Florida, Spineless Century Plant is more suited for smaller landscapes due to its smaller stature than the Century Plant (Figure 1). Foliage is a soft light blueish-green and does not terminate in a spine. The emerging group of leaves forms an attractive cone shape in the center of the plant. It can be included in gardens frequented by children, whereas the spines on the Century Plant can be hazardous with youngsters nearby.
General Information
Figure 1.
Spineless Century Plant.
Scientific name: Agave attenuata
Pronunciation: uh-GAW-vee at-ten-yoo-AY-tuh
Common name(s): Spineless Century Plant
Family: Agavaceae
Plant type: shrub
USDA hardiness zones: 9 through 11 (Fig. 2)
Planting month for zone 9: year round
Planting month for zone 10 and 11: year round
Origin: not native to North America
Uses: border; accent; mass planting
Availability: somewhat available, may have to go out of the region to find the plant
Description
Height: 2 to 3 feet
Figure 2.
Shaded area represents potential planting range.
Spread: 3 to 4 feet
Plant habit: round
Plant density: open
Growth rate: slow
Texture: coarse
Foliage
Leaf arrangement: alternate
Leaf type: simple
Leaf margin: terminal spine
Leaf shape: lanceolate
Leaf venation: none, or difficult to see
Leaf type and persistence: evergreen
Leaf blade length: 18 to 36 inches
Leaf color: blue or blue-green
Fall color: no fall color change
Fall characteristic: not showy
Flower
Flower color: white
Flower characteristic: flowers periodically throughout the year
Fruit
Fruit shape: oval
Fruit length: 1 to 3 inches
Fruit cover: dry or hard
Fruit color: brown
Fruit characteristic: persists on the plant
Trunk and Branches
Trunk/bark/branches: not particularly showy; usually with one stem/trunk
Current year stem/twig color: not applicable
Current year stem/twig thickness: not applicable
Culture
Light requirement: plant grows in part shade/part sun
Soil tolerances: alkaline; clay; sand; acidic; loam
Drought tolerance: high
Soil salt tolerance: unknown
Plant spacing: 36 to 60 inches
Other
Roots: usually not a problem
Winter interest: no special winter interest
Outstanding plant: not particularly outstanding
Invasive potential: not known to be invasive
Pest resistance: no serious pests are normally seen on the plant
Use and Management
Spineless Century Plant is a hardy survivor, tolerating heat, drought, and moderate salt exposure. Little irrigation is needed once the plant is established. It grows best in full sun but can adapt to some shade. After 10 years or more (though not a century), a lofty flower spike is produced, with terminal panicles of pale yellow to white blooms. The stem producing the flower dies soon after. Plants can be grouped together in a mass or planted alone as a specimen in a rock garden. Larger commercial landscapes have room for multiple mass plantings which can create a dramatic impact.
Propagation is by detaching the well-rooted suckers appearing at the base, or by uprooting germinating seedlings near the plant.
Pests and Diseases
Few problems appear to affect most specimens.
Footnotes
This document is FPS 22, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date October, 1999. Reviewed May, 2007. Visit the EDIS Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.
Edward F. Gilman, professor, Environmental Horticulture Department, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.
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