Agave victoriae-reginae

Agave victoriae-reginae, the Queen Victoria agave or royal agave, is a small species of succulent flowering perennial plant, noted for its streaks of white on sculptured geometrical leaves, and popular as an ornamental.

Queen Victoria's agave
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Agavoideae
Genus: Agave
Species:
A. victoriae-reginae
Binomial name
Agave victoriae-reginae
T. Moore (1875)
Synonyms[1][2]
  • Agave consideranti Carrière
  • Agave ferdinandi-regis A. Berger
  • Agave nickelsii Gosselin
  • Agave victoriae-reginae f. dentata Breitung
  • Agave victoriae-reginae f. latifolia Breitung
  • Agave victoriae-reginae f. longifolia Breitung
  • Agave victoriae-reginae f. longispina Breitung
  • Agave victoriae-reginae f. nickelsii Trel.
  • Agave victoriae-reginae f. ornata Breitung
  • Agave victoriae-reginae f. stolonifera Jacobson

This agave is highly variable in form, but in general the rosettes are small and compact, growing to 0.5m, composed of short, rigid, thick leaves that are green with a pattern of distinctive white markings. The markings are generally along leaf keels or margins, giving a sort of polyhedral appearance. Marginal teeth are usually lacking, while the terminus of the leaf may include 1 to 3 spines, each 1.5–3 cm in length. Cream coloured flowers are borne in erect racemes up to 4m in length.

A. victoriae-reginae is found the Chihuahuan Desert in the Mexican States of Coahuila, Durango and Nuevo León, with about a half-dozen subspecies named. The situation is complicated by hybrids with a number of other agave species.[3][4]

It is cold-hardy as agaves go, and thus finds favor as a small accent in many northerly gardens. However it is recommended in the UK that this plant be kept in heated conditions under glass during winter. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[5]

  • Plant
  • Leaf closeup
  • In bloom

References
  1. Tropicos, Agave victoriae-reginae
  2. The Plant List, Agave victoriae-reginae
  3. Howard Scott Gentry, Agaves of Continental North America (University of Arizona Press, 1982) pp. 183–185
  4. Moore, Thomas. Gardeners' Chronicle, new series 4: 485. 1875.
  5. "RHS Plant Selector Agave victoriae-reginae AGM / RHS Gardening". Apps.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 2020-03-12.


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