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Agave parviflora
Also called Santa Cruz Century Plant, Santa Cruz Striped Agave
Smallflower century plant is a small, slow-growing succulent rosette from dry grasslands and rocky slopes in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico. It needs very sharp drainage, bright light and minimal water, and takes 10 to 15 years before it ever flowers.
Agave parviflora is a species of succulent perennial flowering plant in the asparagus family, known by the common names Santa Cruz striped agave, smallflower century plant, and small-flower agave. It is native to Arizona in the United States and Sonora in Mexico.
This species is the smallest agave in Arizona and is sought by collectors. For this reason the species has declined in its native habitat. There are only about two dozen natural populations in Arizona. Other threats to the species include road construction and mining. However, because the population appears to be stable and it grows in several protected areas, it is not considered by the IUCN to be threatened.
The plant is valued in cultivation and has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
It grows in semi-desert grasslands, oak woodlands, and other dry and rocky places. It is a rare species that has limited distribution in Arizona and parts of Northern Mexico. The state of Arizona considers Agave parviflora as endangered and protects it as highly safeguarded. The US Forest Service designated it as a Sensitive Species. Since this species is federally endangered, it is illegal to collect this plant. It commonly grows at elevations between 3,000 and 5,000 feet (900 and 1,520 m).
The leaves and the heart of the plant are baked and eaten. This species is the sweetest and most edible of Agave. However, it is commonly not eaten as it is also the smallest of its genus. It is used to make the distilled liquor Mezcal. Mezcal can be made out of any Agave species, although around 7 species are the most common and favorited.
American century plant · Century plant · Fox Tail Agave · Cow's Horn Agave · Agave colorata · Thread Agave · Henequen · Agave guadalajarana · Black Spined Agave · Agave maculata · Murphey's century plant · Palmer's century plant
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Agave parviflora 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.
