Agave potatorum var. verschaffeltii

Agave potatorum is a medium-sized botanical species with variable appearance depending on the growing conditions. This perennial forms a rosette close to the ground, which can be either compact or open, composed of wide and short pointed leaves, with a beautiful grey-blue colour. They are bordered by spines of varying shades of red-orange to nearly black, which are very decorative. This succulent plant is relatively hardy and perfectly resistant to summer drought. It will thrive in a large rock garden or in a dry garden. Unlike many agave species, this one tolerates semi-shaded exposure quite well.

Originally from the states of Puebla and Oaxaca in Mexico, at altitudes between 1300 and 2300m (4265 and 7546ft), Agave potatorum is primarily a plant well adapted to arid conditions. It belongs to the Asparagaceae family (formerly Agavaceae), just like yuccas and tuberose. This perennial succulent herb has rhizomes capable of producing suckers, but is almost devoid of an above-ground stem, appearing as an extremely short single trunk. The dense and regular rosette is very open when the plant is in full sun, and more compact when exposed to partial shade. It does not exceed 80cm (32in) in diameter and 70cm (28in) in height, with a moderately fast growth rate. The thin, rigid, spatulate, succulent leaves are grey to glaucous, powdery, and measure 25cm (10in) in length. The leaf margins are slightly undulate to strongly crenate and equipped with spines of 0.5 to 1.5cm (0.2 to 1in), curved in all directions, with a colour that varies depending on the plant's exposure. The leaves on the periphery are reddish in young subjects, as are the young leaves. When a rosette reaches the venerable age of 15 to 20 years, or even older, it produces a flowering stem reaching 2m (7ft) in height. It bears numerous horizontal branches. The branches bear flattened and spherical panicles, composed of a myriad of small yellow-green tubular flowers. The semelparous rosette dies after several months of flowering. Some subjects produce a few daughter rosettes on their trunk, just below the mother rosette.

In mild climates, this agave will find its place in a large rock garden, a dry slope, or in a raised bed with soil enriched with gravel or coarse sand. It can be planted with frost-resistant prickly pears such as Opuntia humifusa 'Millevaches', giant fennel, and hardy cactus candles such as Cleistocactus strausii, Cylindropuntia imbricata, as well as low-growing plants such as dwarf mugworts, Rhodanthemum, and Ajania pacifica, all of which are equally undemanding. Gardeners in colder regions can grow it in a very large pot on a terrace, choosing the most sheltered spot and in full sun, to recreate a landscape inspired by the vast arid and wild spaces of Mexico. This moderately hardy plant should be overwintered in a very bright, well-ventilated room in our more humid and colder regions.

Agave is also an edible plant, used in Mexico to make mescal, an alcoholic beverage obtained by fermenting its sugar-rich juice. It is also used in traditional medicine in Mexico, Brazil, and India for its supposed anti-fungal properties. The inflorescences are highly attractive to many pollinating insects.