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Agave attenuata
Also called Swan Neck Agave
Agave attenuata, the fox tail or swan neck agave, is a soft-leaved succulent with pale, stingless rosettes that send up a curved flower spike after many years. Full sun, sharp drainage and protection from frost are the keys to growing it well.
Agave attenuata, commonly called the foxtail or lion's tail agave or the swan's neck agave, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae (the asparaguses, agaves and yuccas). Sometimes called the soft-leaf or soft-leaved agave, the aforementioned animal-related names are a nod to the appearance of the plant's inflorescence, which—after years, generally—rises slightly before gravity brings it back down, giving the bloom a curved, "swan"-like or "foxtail" look. The species' specific manner of flowering is unique in the genus Agave as most other species produce a towering, vertical display, reminiscent of a miniature tree.
In addition to its inflorescence, when compared with other Agave species, A.
In cultivation, Agave attenuata is said to prefer relatively moist loamy soil, although it can cope with poor soil and dry conditions. It should be protected from direct sunlight in summer and from long periods of frost. It is hardy down to USDA Zone 9b.
Specimens were sent to Kew Gardens by the explorer Galeotti in 1834 from an unspecified location in central Mexico. A more recent study has reported it from Jalisco, on the west coast and east of Mexico State, in small colonies at elevations between 1,900 to 2,500 meters (6,200 to 8,200 ft), but there have been few sightings, suggesting this species is rare in the wild. IUCN reports the species from the states of Colima, Durango, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán, Nayarit and Mexico State, at altitudes between 400 and 2,500 meters (1,300 and 8,200 ft) on volcanic rock cliffs within pine forests and transitional zones of tropical dry and temperate forests types in mountains. It is reportedly naturalized in Libya and Madeira and is widely spread through the Mediterranean and the rest of Macaronesia.
American century plant · Century plant · Cow's Horn Agave · Agave colorata · Thread Agave · Henequen · Agave guadalajarana · Black Spined Agave · Agave maculata · Murphey's century plant · Palmer's century plant · Agave parrasana
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Agave attenuata by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
