Agave gentryi
Agave gentryi · Asparagaceae
📷 Stan Shebs · CC BY-SA 3.0
⚠️ Chiens, chats et enfants : feuilles toxiques par ingestion, provoquent irritation buccale et troubles digestifs graves.
The gardener's calendar
In autumn, ease off feeding and take the chance to clean up around agave gentryi and prepare for winter.
ID card
- Foliage
- Evergreen, fleshy and glaucous
- Flowering
- July to August, yellow flowers in panicles
- Adult size
- Approximately 1.5 m in height and 1.2 m in width
- Growth
- Slow to moderate
- Hardiness
- Moderate, tolerates down to approximately -5 °C
- Origin
- Mexico (Sonora and Chihuahua)
- Soil type
- Well-draining, poor, gravelly or sandy
✓ Taxonomy verifiedSource: AI estimate · hardiness: reliability low.
Expert tips
The key tip
Very well-draining soil, better dry than wet: plant on raised beds if you have heavy soil. Minimal watering once established (6-8 months); it draws remarkable strength from mineral substrate.
The common mistake
Regular watering can gradually weaken agave: roots rot from moisture accumulating under the rosette.
The pro's trick
Add perlite or pumice at planting to speed up water drainage.
Care
Watering
Gentry's Agave is very drought-tolerant and prefers a dry regime. Water moderately during the growing season (spring-summer), approximately every 15 to 20 days. In autumn and winter, drastically reduce watering or stop it completely. Avoid stagnant water at all costs, as it causes root rot.
Light Exposure
This agave demands full sun exposure to thrive fully. A minimum of 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily is necessary to maintain the glaucous tint of its foliage and promote a compact shape. In shade, the plant will become etiolated and lose its appeal.
Soil and Planting
Choose very well-draining substrate: a mix of cactus and succulent soil enriched with gravel or perlite. In garden soil, improve drainage with coarse sand or gravels. Poor to average soil suits it perfectly; avoid overly rich soils that encourage soft growth.
Fertilizing
Gentry's Agave requires few nutrients. A diluted application of succulent plant fertilizer once or twice in summer is more than sufficient. Prefer balanced fertilizer or slightly lower in nitrogen to promote hardiness rather than growth.
Pruning and Cleaning
No strict pruning is necessary. Remove dead or damaged leaves at the base to maintain appearance. After flowering, you can remove the dried flower stem. Wear gloves: the leaves have formidable spines.
Diseases and Pests
Gentry's Agave is robust and rarely susceptible to diseases if drainage conditions are good. Beware mainly of root rot from excess moisture. Mealybugs may occasionally appear indoors; treat with a spray of water or diluted horticultural soap.
Did you know?
Agave gentryi is named after American botanist and explorer Donald Gentry, who spent decades studying Mexico's flora. This species ranks among the most ornamental agaves in the genus, valued for its compact habit and the beautiful gray-blue patina of its foliage, reminiscent of a fine layer of dust. Although monocarpic (dying after its single flowering), it offers a majestic spectacle during its floral ascent.
Where to buy it
Plant in spring, once all risk of frost has gone. Pick a plant with healthy foliage and roots that are not exposed. Best time: from April to June.
Add this plant to my garden →Plants from the same family
- Lily of the valleyConvallaria majalis
- Spiny-headed Mat-rushLomandra longifolia
- Siberian squillScilla siberica
- Century plantAgave americana
- Sea squillDrimia maritima
- Armenian grape hyacinthMuscari armeniacum
Tips generated and checked by Viridia — adapt them to your local climate.