Agave potatorum | Tobalá Agave
€21,20
🌱 Morphology
A slow-growing, generally solitary agave without a visible stem, which forms an open to compact rosette approximately 30–50 cm tall and 40–60 cm in diameter. It produces about 25–40 succulent, lanceolate, oblong, or ovate leaves, 20–40 cm long, which are erect or recurved, flexible, and somewhat concave. They are glaucous green to grayish-blue in color, with crenate margins and characteristic robust, brown or grayish teeth up to 12 mm long. The terminal spine, straight or sinuous, reaches 2–4 cm. The species exhibits extraordinary variability in size, shape, and coloration.
🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
It is native to Mexico, from southern Puebla to western central Veracruz and central Oaxaca. It inhabits altitudes between approximately 1,240 and 2,400 m, in xerophytic scrub, tropical deciduous forest, and pine-oak forests, generally on stony ground or sandy soils derived from limestone. It is the well-known Tobalá maguey, of great importance in the artisanal production of mezcal.
Family Asparagaceae · Subfamily Agavoideae · Tribe Agaveae
❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 9b
It tolerates minimum temperatures of down to −5 ºC for brief periods and with the substrate completely dry. Resistance may vary depending on the plant's origin and condition; cold combined with humidity is especially dangerous.
☀️ Lighting
It requires plenty of light and direct sun to develop a compact rosette and maintain the intense glaucous hue of the leaves. In extremely hot summer climates, it may appreciate slight protection during the central hours of the day. A PAR radiation of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ (DLI) is recommended.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
Growth is primarily spring-summer. During the active period, it is recommended to water abundantly and allow the substrate to dry out completely before the next watering. In autumn, water intake is progressively reduced, and it remains practically dry during the winter. Its habitat receives marked seasonality in precipitation.
🌸 Flowering
It is monocarpic: it flowers only once and the rosette dies after producing seeds. Floral maturity is usually reached in approximately 10 to 15 years, although this may vary depending on cultivation conditions. Natural flowering occurs primarily between August and November. The scape reaches approximately 3–6 m, with a branched inflorescence and yellowish flowers with purplish hues. After fruiting, which lasts from approximately November to March, the plant completes its cycle.
🌿 Nutrition
During active growth, Desert CHOICE® Succulents is recommended, especially for its contribution of assimilable potassium and calcium. Potassium promotes water regulation and tissue resistance to stress, while assimilable calcium helps maintain firm leaves and a structurally resistant rosette. Routine addition of a specific flowering fertilizer is not recommended for agaves.
🪴 Pot
13x13 cm gourmet black pot
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a high-tech square pot, with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.
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