Agave parryi
Century Plant
a perennial evergreen member of the Agave genus in the family Agavaceae.
Taxonomy and growth
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.
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[9][2]. Sweet and nutritious, but rather fibrous[12]. It is partly below ground[16]. Seed - ground into a flour and used as a thickener in soups or used with cereal flours when making bread[18]. Young flower stalk - raw or cooked[14]. It was generally roasted[6][8]. Tender young leaves - roasted[5]. Sap from the cut flowering stems is used as a syrup[6]. Nectar from the flowering stems is made into a sweet syrup[8]. The sap can also be tapped by boring a hole into the middle of the plant at the base of the flowering stem[12]. It can be fermented into 'Mescal', a very potent alcoholic drink[12].
- 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 is antiseptic, diuretic and laxative[11].
- Product or use
- Antiseptic
- Product or use
- Diuretic
- Product or use
- Laxative
Material uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
The leaves contain saponins and an extract of them can be used as a soap[9]. It is best obtained by chopping up the leaves and then simmering them in water - do not boil for too long or this will start to break down the saponins[K]. A very strong fibre obtained from the leaves is used for making rope, coarse fabrics etc[9][15][18]. A paper can also be made from the fibre in the leaves[9]. The thorns on the leaves are used as pins and needles[9]. The dried flowering stems are used as a waterproof thatch[9] and as a razor strop[17].
- Product or use
- Fibre
- Product or use
- Needles
- Product or use
- Paper
- Product or use
- Pins
- Product or use
- Soap
- Product or use
- Thatching
Environment
- Range
- South-western N. America - Arizona to New Mexico.
- Habitat
- Semi-arid land, 1300 - 2400 metres, often experiencing snow in winter with temperatures as low as -18°c for short periods[7].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- no shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 8+
- 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[4]. 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[10].
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Requires a very well-drained soil and a sunny position[1][10]. This species is probably the hardiest member of the genus, it survives outdoors grown against a warm wall at Kew[3]. 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 take about 10 - 15 years in a warm climate, considerably longer in colder ones, before flowering[3]. This plant is widely used by the native people in its wild habitat, it has a wide range of uses. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[13].
References
F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00
Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00
Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan. 1987-00-00
Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
Pesman. M. W. Meet Flora Mexicana. Dale S. King. Arizona. 1962-00-00
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-449-90589-6
Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202
Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967-00-00 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9
Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0-7012-0784-1
Balls. E. K. Early Uses of Californian Plants. University of California Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-520-00072-2