Agave americana Agave (Agavaceae) Evergreen perennial

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Agave americana
Agave
Evergreen perennial
(1 Page of 5)

The Agave americana plant species is found in Southwestern N. America. Naturalized in the Mediterranean[11]. It is a member of the Agavaceae family. Common gardeners may know the plant as Agave.

Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

Latin Name:  Agave americana
Common Name:  Agave
Family:  Agavaceae
Author:  L.

Known Hazards:  Contact with the fresh sap can cause dermatitis in sensitive people[218, 238]. The plants have a very sharp and tough spine at the tip of each leaf. They need to be carefully sited in the garden.

Mature Height:  7.5   Mature Width:  2.5

Habitat:  Original habitat is unknown but it grows wild in Mexico on cultivated land and in pine woods[11].

Edible Uses: The heart of the plant is very rich in saccharine matter and can be eaten when baked[2, 92, 183]. Sweet and nutritious, but rather fibrous[213]. It is partly below ground[85]. Seed - ground into a flour and used as a thickener in soups or used with cereal flours when making bread[92]. Flower stalk - roasted[92, 95]. Used like asparagus[183]. Sap from the cut flowering stems is used as a syrup[177] or fermented into pulque or mescal[183]. The sap can also be tapped by boring a hole into the middle of the plant at the base of the flowering stem[213].

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Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

The information above has been supplied solely via the hard work and dedication of the team at 'Plants for a Future'.
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