Agave salmiana
We have marveled at the specimen of A. salmiana at the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh for years. Despite being “cooked” in a winter of 0 degrees F, the plant returned with amazing vigor. In the wilds of Mexico, A. salmiana can reach 6′ tall and 12′ wide…the specimen at the arboretum grew to 3-4′ tall and about 6′ wide in 15 years. The spiny-edged, green foliage can occasionally have some blue color, as do our seedlings. The massive flower spikes reach 25′ tall, resembling an asparagus on a massive Viagra overdose. Not that you are interested, but this species accounts for probably 75% of the fermented liquor consumed in the central plateau region of Mexico, according to agave guru and author Howard Gentry. Our plants are grown from recently collected Mexican seed.
