Stand-out Succulents: Agaves and Aloes

Before I put together my last foliage post in August, I assembled a range of photos but, feeling the post would be too long, I held some of those back.  Today I'm trotting out some of the succulent photos I compiled at that time.  Rather than show a broad range of succulents, I've focused on a selection of Agaves  and Aloes I don't often feature.  For lack of a better way to present these, I'm taking them in alphabetical order.

This is Agave angustifolia 'Marginata'.  I picked it up as a small plant a few years ago at a succulent nursery that was going out of business.  It mirrors the Yucca gloriosa 'Variegata' planted in the tree stump just behind it.

I planted this Agave macroacantha from a 4-inch pot purchased by mail order two year ago.  It should never get taller than two feet.  I love its dark spines.

I received this Agave americana 'Mediopicta Alba' as a pup (with two others) from Hoover Boo of Piece of Eden a few years ago.  Since then it's not only grown but produced pups of its own.

I picked up Agave 'Mr Ripple' as a small plant at a succulent show and sale in 2016.  Thankfully, it's a slow grower as it can get big (3-4 feet tall by 4-6 feet wide), which means that the path I used when taking this shot could become impassable.

I think I originally bought this as Agave celsii but it's now classified as Agave mitis 'Multicolor'.  I have three more of these plants in various sizes, most received as pups from friends. 

This is the smaller of my two whale's tongue Agaves.  I think this one is Agave ovatifolia 'Vanzie' but for some reason I never logged it in the spreadsheet I use to track what I plant.

This is another of my smaller Agaves, Agave potatorum 'Kichiokan', planted in 2016.  I just recently noticed that tiny pup at its base.

I love this Aloe labworana with its spots and teeth but I didn't pick the best placed for it as the Echium candicans 'Star of Madiera' has pushed into its territory this past year

I've picked up a number of hybrid Aloes at my local botanic garden over the past several years.  This one is Aloe striata x maculata.  As both parents are relatively small, I'm trusting that this one won't get larger than 2 feet by 2 feet.

This hybrid Aloe vanbalenii x ferox, on the other hand, may get larger than I'd expected

While this Aloe vanbalenii x striata seems well behaved

One more Agave made the list for the purposes of this post but I'm treating it separately as I recently did some housekeeping of its planting bed. 

Agave lophantha 'Quadricolor' is very attractive but it's a prolific pupper.  I originally had one plant here.  Then there were three.  When I decided the Aeoniums and Agaves were crowding one another and started cutting the Aeoniums back (a little before I took this shot), I realized there were seven more pups in the mix.

In addition to scaling back the Aeoniums, I pulled the Agave pups, leaving just three plants.  This is the "after" shot.

I transplanted one of the Agave 'Quadricolor' pups in a different bed, gave another to a friend, and potted the remaining five pups and left them on the curb with a sign offering them to neighbors.  They were gone in no time.

It's unpleasant to work outside at the moment so I'm not sure I'll be getting anything done in the garden this weekend.  Not because it's particularly hot - it's actually cooler than was originally forecast (mid-80s rather than low 90s) - but because the air quality is awful.  We've had ash falling at intervals since Monday and there's a vague smokey smell to the air, which makes me mildly nauseous after awhile.  It's not as bad here as it is in Northern California, where the sky has literally turned orange but it's bad enough to keep me inside as much as possible.  And of course the fact that yet another extreme fire season is costing lives and driving people from their homes while some continue to debate the reality of climate change and its impact on people all over the world is beyond depressing.  My husband and I have "bug-out bags" at the ready in the hall closet closest to the front door, which is evidence of the tension we live with.  Those bags aren't new - we've had them on hand for years now.  We even have one for the cat.  And we change out and recharge items in the bags at periodic intervals.  We also have a list of things to pack in the car, prioritized based on how much time we might have to get out in the event of an emergency.  Does that sound extreme to you?  It really isn't.  My husband's parents lost their home to a massive wildfire more than two decades ago and, as recently as last month, my sister-in-law was poised to evacuate a fire in Northern California.  After that fire got within half a mile of her house, the wind shifted and the fire was subsequently contained; however, only days later, smoke drove my niece and her partner from their home.  This is part of the new normal here.

All material © 2012-2020 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party