Agave ferdinandi-regis (King of the Agaves) / 10 seeds

Agave ferdinandi-regis (King of the Agaves) is a century plant and a striking agave with an open rosette of triangular blue-green leaves with narrow longitudinal white bud imprints (converging white lines) that often form a triangular shape. It’s native to southeastern Coahuila, northeast of Saltillo, Mexico. It was named in the honor of King Ferdinand of Bulgaria. Leaves have dark reddish-brown margins and no spines, but their tip forms a stout, blunt spine of the same color. Agave ferdinandi-regis is hardy to around 10-degree F. Rosettes are regular, globose and 30-45 cm in diameter. Mature Agave Ferdinand-regis plant (over 20 years) flower only once, when it’s topped with a magnificent flowering spike that can reach 20 feet (6 m) and produces dense clusters of yellow flowers flushed with purplish-red. This plant is deer resistant but attracts hummingbirds and other birds.

This plant was first named Agave nickelsiae. In 1915, Alwin Berger renamed it as Agave ferdinandi-regis. Agave ferdinande-regis was considered to be a form or synonym os Agage victoriae-reginae, but it has more open rosette with larger but fewer leaves, less bud imprinting and dark reddish brown edges instead of silver margins as compared to Agave victoriae-reginae. It also usually has multiple small spines subtending the large terminal spine, a feature never seen on A. victoriae-reginae. Also, Agave ferdinande-regis grows twice the size of Agave victoriae-reginae. To get the best results, you should water Agave ferdinande-regis well during spring and summer and let it become barely moist between waternings.

Patio zone of Agave ferdinande-regis is 4b to 11 which means the potted plant will thrive over the summer months in colder zones but should be brought inside before winter.