Agave parrasana

Agave parrasana, the cabbage head agave or cabbage head century plant,^[3] is a flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae.^[4] A slow-growing evergreen succulent from North East Mexico, it produces a compact rosette of fleshy thorn-tipped grey-green leaves, 60 cm tall and wide. The leaves are blue green and the thorns are red. The whole plant may reach 100 centimeters tall and wide.^[5] Occasionally, mature plants produce a spectacular flower head up to 6m tall, opening red and turning yellow.^[6] This signals the death of the flowering rosette. However, offsets may form and continue growing.

Agave parrasana
Kew Gardens, August 2005 (Bluemoose)
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Asparagaceae
Subfamily:	Agavoideae
Genus:	Agave
Species:	A. parrasana
Binomial name
Agave parrasana A.Berger[2]
Synonyms
Agave wislizeni subsp. parrasana

As it can tolerate temperatures of −12 °C (10 °F) or less, it is a popular plant to grow outdoors in a sheltered cactus garden or similar environment, and has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.^[7] In the US, it may be grown outdoors in USDA hardiness zones 7–10. It is susceptible to scale and chlorosis resulting from magnesium deficiency.^[8]

References

1. González-Elizondo, M.; Hernández Sandoval, L.; Zamudio, S.; Hernández-Martínez, M.; Sánchez, E.; Matías-Palafox, M. (2019). "Agave parrasana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T115689579A116354278. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T115689579A116354278.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
2. "Agave parrasana". The Plant List. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
3. "Agave parrasana (cabbage head agave)". gardenia.net. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
4. "Agave parrasana A.Berger". Plants of the World Online. The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. n.d. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
5. "Agave parrasana". BBC Gardeners' World Magazine. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
6. "Agave parrasana". www.public.asu.edu. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
7. "Agave parrasana". Royal Horticultural Society. 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
8. Shoot. "Agave parrasana Cabbage head Cabbage head century plant wislizenii Care Plant Varieties & Pruning Advice". www.shootgardening.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-04-28.