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Agave vilmoriniana(a - GAH - vee vil - mor - in - ee - AY - nuh ) is a succulent evergreen perennialagave plantnative to Mexico .
This succulent is a member of the Asparagaceae family . It is also known as Agave mayoensis .
Most homeowners call the works by its common name , the Octopus Agave , because its gray-haired narrow unripe , foresighted , slender leaves arch in a way to front like octopus tentacles .
Agave Vilmoriniana Octopus Care
Size & Growth
Vilmoriniana octopus Agave is an strange - looking succulent with rosettes produce to three or four foot gamey and five or six feet wide .
Vilmoriniana is one of the ‘ friendlier ’ Agaves , having fine , soft serrations or spines along the leaf margins and a lenient terminal spine .
Flower Color & Fragrance
These monocarpic plants produce one spectacular bloom spike in their lifespan .
A mature flora ( 10 years old or older ) produces a ten to twenty - understructure blossom stalk ( florescence ) breed in attractive , fragrant spectacular golden - yellow flowers .
The blossoms are extremely attractive to hummingbird .
It take an entire time of year for the stiletto heel to originate to its maximal stature , blossom , and then topple .
Light & Temperature
These desert agave works appreciate a full sun setting but can also do well in light spectre .
The “ Octopus ” is wintertime hardy in USDA hardiness zones 9 - 11 .
Water Needs & Feeding
Although the plant is drouth - tolerant , water supply regularly while the flora is youthful and becoming established .
Like the Century plant , once shew , let the soil to dry out totally and then water deeply during the growing season ( spring through summertime ) .
Do not water at all during the wintertime .
Fertilizing is not recommended as it might spur flower , which would shoot down the plant .
Octopus Agaves develop without redundant irrigation in the desert area of Southern Arizona .
Soil & Transplanting
The best soil for this succulent provides good drain and is flaxen or gravelly .
A substrate combination of equal parts compost , garden soil , or pot mix combined with penetrating guts , pumice stone , or gravel is ideal .
Grooming & Maintenance
This miserable - sustainment plant type is mostly a “ determine - it - and - forget - it ” choice .
Trim off withered or damaged leaves as want . Otherwise , upkeep is pretty nonexistent .
Another smaller American aloe you may like – Agave Bracteosa ( Squid Agave )
How To Propagate Octopus Agave
Vilmoriniana agave may be grown from seeds or plantlet that cancel the efflorescence spike .
Each flower modulation into a tiny bulbul or plantlet when the works finishes blooming .
To propagate , collect the bulbil when the blooming menses has complete .
Do n’t do this right on forth . Wait until each bantam works has formed two hardening of parting and then harvest them .
Alternately , if you have the outer space and a conducive climate , will all or some of them in place and earmark them to get naturally along the decaying stalk simply .
You could also simply plant them around your outdoor garden setting .
If you ’re going to harvest the bulbils , it ’s best to wait until they are easily removed from the husk .
If you play resistor , give them a piffling more time .
It is potential to cut them gratuitous using a very sharp blade .
However , if you do this , you ’ll postulate to leave them in the candid gentle wind for a few days to heal and indurate over before plant them in soil .
Use a easy , dry pot sensitive consisting of adequate parts of a lightweight potting mix curb common guts and pumice but no peat moss .
Alternately , you may expend pumice on its own or purchase a commercial-grade succulent or cactus potting intermixture .
go the plantlet in their own tiny individual sess or a seedling flat .
sneak in them into the root substrate just enough to prevent them from falling .
Give them a thorough lachrymation and gear up them in an area with stack of indirect sunlight that ride out consistently warm .
Check the surface of the soil frequently .
When it is dry , give the young plants another thoroughgoing lachrymation .
Your plant should have begin to set tooth root after a twosome of week .
Agave Pest or Disease Problems
These hardy , large type of succulent have little or no disease trouble .
Like most succulents , they can be subject to scale louse plague if cared for improperly .
Agave snout weevilsmay also present a threat .
Is The Agave Octopus Considered Toxic or Poisonous To People, Kids, Pets?
Vilmoriniana is cervid resistant .
The sap can be irritating to sore skin . It is best to plant this excellent accent industrial plant off the exhaust racecourse .
Wear baseball glove , goggles , and long sleeve when handling the flora .
Is This Agave Considered Invasive?
Although this Agave specie does produce hundreds of bulbils when it flowers , growing these succulent successfully is rather challenging .
It is NOT an invasive plant life .
Uses For Vilmoriniana Octopus
This very striking drouth tolerant flora makes a wonderful specimen plant or a focal point for a cheery border .
It can also be used as a very big handsome container plant .
This hardy succulent does well in coastal garden and can also thrive in part shaded inland garden .
Every xeriscape garden in the Southwest should have several of them .
Vilmoriniana is also an first-class pick for fire - prone areas ( fire escaping ) as it is considered “ firewise ” or “ fire sassy . “
