Agave colorata Misashibo
Agave colorata hails from Northwestern Sonora, Mexico, where it is quite rare among the rocky coastal foothills…possibly due to overharvesting by the precolonial Indian tribes who used it as a sweetener. Agave colorata is highly valued ornamentally, due to its amazing horizontal leaf banding and its scarcity due to its typical solitary growth habit (rare to offset). Agave ‘Misashibo’ is an even rarer Japanese selection with leaves that emerge blue, but develop a wide central chartreuse-yellow pattern, surrounded by a powder blue border as they age. The slow-growing, snaggle-toothed rosette of Agave colorata ‘Misashibo’ is composed of thick, very scabrous leaves, maturing at 1′ tall x 2′ wide in 15 years. When mature, you’ll enjoy the 10′ tall spike of orange and yellow flowers. We’ve found Agave colorata ‘Misashibo’ easy to grow as long as it’s kept on the dry side with good drainage. On the rare occasions that these are offered for sale, tiny thumb-sized plants typically go for $200-$300 each.
