Practical
Plants

Agave americana

Agave

a perennial evergreen member of the Agave genus in the family Agavaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Agavaceae
Genus
Agave
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Growth rate
slow
Height
7.5 m
Spread
2.5 m
Fertility
Lepidoptera, Bats
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Lepidoptera, Bats

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Contact with the fresh sap can cause dermatitis in sensitive people[10][12]. The plants have a very sharp and tough spine at the tip of each leaf. They need to be carefully sited in the garden.

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The heart of the plant is very rich in saccharine matter and can be eaten when baked[6][19][5]. Sweet and nutritious, but rather fibrous[9]. It is partly below ground[17]. Seed - ground into a flour and used as a thickener in soups or used with cereal flours when making bread[19]. Flower stalk - roasted[19][20]. Used like asparagus[5]. Sap from the cut flowering stems is used as a syrup[4] or fermented into pulque or mescal[5]. The sap can also be tapped by boring a hole into the middle of the plant at the base of the flowering stem[9].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Sap
Plant part
Seed
Plant part
Stem

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The sap of agaves has long been used in Central America as a binding agent for various powders used as poultices on wounds[14]. The sap can also be taken internally in the treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery etc[14]. The sap is antiseptic, diaphoretic, diuretic and laxative[8][10][13]. An infusion of the chopped leaf is purgative and the juice of the leaves is applied to bruises[10]. The plant is used internally in the treatment of indigestion, flatulence, constipation, jaundice and dysentery[12]. The sap has disinfectant properties and can be taken internally to check the growth of putrefactive bacteria in the stomach and intestines[8]. Water in which agave fibre has been soaked for a day can be used as a scalp disinfectant and tonic in cases of falling hair[8]. Steroid drug precursors are obtained from the leaves[12]. A gum from the root and leaf is used in the treatment of toothache[10]. The root is diaphoretic and diuretic[13]. It is used in the treatment of syphilis[10][13]. All parts of the plant can be harvested for use as required, they can also be dried for later use. The dried leaves and roots store well[12].

Product or use
Antiseptic
Product or use
Diaphoretic
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Laxative
Product or use
Miscellany
Product or use
Odontalgic
Product or use
VD

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The plant contains saponins. An extract of the leaves is used as a soap[6]. The roots are used according to another report[12]. It is likely that the root is the best source of the saponins that are used to make a soap[K]. Chop up the leaves or the roots into small pieces and then simmer them in water to extract the saponins. Do not over boil or you will start to break down the saponins[K]. There is a report that the plant has insecticidal properties, but further details are not given[10][12]. A very strong fibre obtained from the leaves is used for making rope, coarse fabrics etc[6][16][19][12]. A paper can also be made from the leaves[6]. The thorns on the leaves are used as pins and needles[6]. The dried flowering stems are used as a waterproof thatch[6] and as a razor strop[18]. The plants are used in land-reclamation schemes in arid areas of the world[12].

Product or use
Fibre
Product or use
Insecticide
Product or use
Needles
Product or use
Paper
Product or use
Pins
Product or use
Soap
Product or use
Thatching

Ecology and functions

Soil builder

Environment

Range
South-western N. America. Naturalized in the Mediterranean[2].
Habitat
Original habitat is unknown but it grows wild in Mexico on cultivated land and in pine woods[2].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 9+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - surface sow in a light position, April in a warm greenhouse. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 20°c[3]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots of well-drained soil when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a sunny position in the greenhouse until they are at least 20cm tall. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts, and give some protection from the cold for at least their first few winters[K]. Offsets can be potted up at any time they are available. Keep in a warm greenhouse until they are well established[7].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a very well-drained soil and a sunny position[1][7]. The agave is not very hardy in Britain tolerating temperatures down to about -3°c if conditions are not wet[15]. It succeeds outdoors on the south coast of England from Torbay westwards[2]. Plants survived lower temperatures during the very cold winters from 1985/1987 and were unharmed at Glendurgan gardens in West Cornwall[K]. A monocarpic species, the plant lives for a number of years without flowering but dies once it does flower. However, it normally produces plenty of suckers during its life and these continue growing, taking about 10 - 15 years in a warm climate, considerably longer in colder ones, before flowering[2]. This plant is widely used by the native people in its wild habitat, it has a wide range of uses. In a warm climate suckers take 10 - 15 years to come into flower. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[11].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  3. Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan. 1987-00-00

    ↩

  4. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  5. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  7. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  8. Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-553-23827-2

    ↩1↩2↩3

  9. Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-449-90589-6

    ↩1↩2

  10. Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-917256-20-4

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  11. Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8

    ↩

  12. Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995-00-00 ISBN 0-7513-020-31

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

  13. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  14. Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996-00-00 ISBN 9-780751-303148

    ↩1↩2

  15. Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-330-37376-5

    ↩

  16. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩

  17. Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967-00-00 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9

    ↩

  18. Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0-7012-0784-1

    ↩

  19. Balls. E. K. Early Uses of Californian Plants. University of California Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-520-00072-2

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  20. Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-486-23310-3

    ↩

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