Sukkulenten - Agavengewächse Standardsorte

Season Overview

Description

The agave plants belong to the asparagus plant family, which includes six other subfamilies in addition to the Agavaceae and themselves belong to the asparagus order. They have been known as a subfamily since 1837. The agave family has 20 genera with around 700 species, among which there are many indoor and ornamental plants. You are probably familiar with the easy-care green lily, the yucca palm or the hemp plant. But many species of the Agavaceae can also be used commercially. The agave genus, for example, is used in the production of tequila, and its sap is also used to produce a sugar substitute. The sisal agave has very robust vascular fibers that are used to make textiles or ropes. As the flowers of many agave plants are often very fragrant, some species are also used to produce fragrances. Most agave plants, which do not tolerate frost, are found in tropical and subtropical regions, sometimes in arid areas. The majority of species grow in the Neotropics, i.e. on the American continents between South America and Florida. However, some Agavaceae are also found in Asia, as well as in New Zealand, Australia and the Caribbean. Two species from the genus of grass lilies are also widespread in Germany and can be found up to alpine altitudes. In southern Europe, there are also introduced species that grow well in suitable warm locations - you can find them in Italy, for example. The shape of the agave plants is varied. The majority are perennial plants that grow into shrubs, trees or herbs. Epiphytes are also found among the Agavaceae, i.e. they grow on other plants, usually trees. There are also succulents that can store water in their stems and leaves. These include agaves, which can grow very old - but they die after their single flowering. This is why they are known as the "plant of the century". Many Agavaceae, which are almost exclusively evergreen, have deciduous leaves. These are usually alternate and spirally arranged. The subfamily is characterized by its always simple and parallel leaf veins. The genus Funkia is a popular ornamental and houseplant thanks to its attractive, deep green leaves. As with the agave, rosette leaves are usually succulent and have thorns on the leaf edge. Many agave plants only flower after some time. Agaves, for example, often only develop flowers after decades before they subsequently die. The flowers are spectacular: the inflorescences can grow up to 12 meters high. The flowers themselves are yellowish, greenish, brownish or, in rare cases, reddish. Most Agavaceae have richly flowered, racemose inflorescences with at least two bracts. The flowers are triflorous and almost always hermaphrodite. Two circles with mostly free perianth petals characterize the flowers, which also have two further circles with three stamens. Nectaries are also present. In species that occur in dry areas, flowers only form when enough rain has fallen. Yucca species, such as the Joshua palm lily, only flower every few years. Most agave plants form capsule fruits, only a few yucca species develop berries. As with some yucca palms, these are very large - quite unlike the capsule fruits of the green lily you are probably familiar with, which are only around 10 millimetres in size. The seeds of most Agavaceae are flat and lack starch. This is also the case with the seeds of agaves, which are three-chambered and narrow towards the elongated tip. The endosperm of the fruit contains a lot of oil.

Growing tips

- Location: Agaves prefer sunny to full sun locations. They can also thrive in partial shade, but direct sunlight promotes their growth and flower formation.

Details

Light requirement

Sunny

Water requirement

Dry

Soil

Light (sandy)

Nutrient requirement

Low

Light germinator

Germination temperature

22 - 26 °C (Degrees Celsius)

Seeding distance

100 cm

Row spacing

100 cm

Seeding depth

0.2 cm