Agave parryi (very cold hardy) / 10 seeds (Parry’s Agave, Mescal Agave, Artichoke Agave)

Having an impressive look with a rosette of leaves in a unique geometry and a 20 feet tall giant stalk with 20-30 side branches each with hundreds of flowers emerging from the center of the rosette, Agave perryi is an evergreen succulent perennial and has been a source of gorgeousness and food and beverage for at least 9,000 years.

Its flowers are reddish in bud and become bright yellow when open. Not only Agave perryi is beautiful to look at when fully grown, but it’s also a joy watching it growing. Agave perryi is native to Arizona, New Mexico and northern Mexico. Agave perryi has grey green leaves that have an apical spine. This spine is dark tan, brown or black and typically darker than the leaf. The leaves have imprints of previous leaves on their backside. The Huachuca variety grows as large as 2 ½ feet. Upon maturity, Agave perryi produces a 10 to 20 feet tall stalk with beautiful bright yellow flowers and after producing flowers it dies as all leaf and root resources are supplied to the flower stalk, flowers and seeds. this plant propagates either by seeds or offsets.

Agave perryi is considered to be a good landscaping plant for desert landscaping due to its low watering needs, compact size and easy maintenance. It needs full sun, but is hardy to around -5 degree F (-21-degree C), although it has also been reported to survive at -20-degree F (-29-degree C). Where hardy, this plant retains its rosette of leaves into the winter. But cold temperatures must be ‘dry cold’ and not ‘wet cold’.

Agave perryi tolerates drought and dry soils. Excessive moisture or poorly draining soil is inevitably going to cause root rot.

Indigenous people in the Americas use Perry’s agave to make fibers and soap and also food and medicine. When the central bud is removed, the caviry thus created is filled with a nutritious fluid which is called aguamiel (honey water in English). When this is fermented it becomes an alcoholic beverage known as pluque which is then distilled to make mescal or tequila. The heart of the plant is rich in saccharine and when baked, becomes delicious. It’s sweet and nutritious, but rather fibrous and is partially below ground. Its seeds are also ground into a flour which is used as a thickener in soups and used with cereal flours while making bread. Young flower stalks are also eaten raw or cooked (generally roasted). Tender young leaves are also roasted. Sap from the cut flowering stems is used as a syrup. this sap is antiseptic, laxative and diuretic. But you’re advised to seek a professional advice before using it as a medicine. Nectar from the flowering stems is turned into a sweet syrup.