Sunday, February 7, 2016

The slow descent into Darkness (Agave's!)

I wasn't really into spikey plants, I much prefer those that are succulents and NOT spikey.  However my obsession for all things variegated has meant that I have switched over (just slightly) to the DARK SIDE

It started innocently enough with a simply Agave Attenuata 'Silver Trim'.  Then I found this two gorgeous not standard 'Silver Trims'....

They aren't exactly normal as they have stripes where they shouldn't and some half variegated leaves. 

I had previously read this article  Coring Agaves for propagation and was keen to give it a try, so I stripped some leaves, and attempted to core these two agaves.    The results have been interesting....

This was the result from the one with a half yellow leaf
.
I have doubts that this completely white one will survive on its own (no chlorophyl that I can see)
but there are some others on the other side that show great potential

The other plant with a stripe down the centre leaf also has given rise to some interesting looking offspring


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In the meantime this one caught my attention 'Kara's Stripe' or so it was sold to me as.  I can't bring myself to core this one, so I'm just admiring it for now.

But the slippery slope into the darkness had begun and I found myself looking for MORE variegated plants.   I was chatting with Paul Forster (Rare Succulents in QLD) and he mentioned he had an offset of Agave Victoria Regina 'White Rhino' for sale.  With great trepidation as to my ability to keep it alive it was added to my permit order.

I'm glad to report she IS growing!

Recently I have obtained the much more common yellow variegated form as well .

By this time I was well and truly hooked, so started to gather together my little collection of agaves'.

Agave desmettiana 'Galactic Traveller'
Agave gypsophila 'Lemon and Lime'
Agave gypsophila 'Ivory Curls'

Agave potatorum 'Tradewind'

Agave potatorum var. verschaffeltii 

unlabelled A. potatorum

another unlabelled potatorum

Agave parryi 'Cream Spike' 
Agave guiengola 'Creme Brulee'
Agave celsii 'multicolor'
Agave lophantha quadricolor
Agave titaota

Agave titanota (different form)

Agave American medio-picta
Agave American medio-picta Alba
And so it continues.... I have a few more I want to add to my list, mostly variegates although there are a few smaller ones I just can't resist because they ARE small.






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