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Agave americana
| Common name: |
Agave |
Family: |
Agavaceae |
| Author: |
L. |
Botanical references: |
11, 72, 200 |
| Synonyms: |
|
| 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. |
| Range: |
South-western N. America. Naturalized in the Mediterranean[11]. |
| Habitat: |
Original habitat is unknown but it grows wild in Mexico on cultivated land and in pine woods[11]. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
3 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 3 |
| Other Possible Synonyms: | From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below. |
| A. anericana[E]
A. rasconensis[G]
A. zonata[G]
|
| Other Common Names: | From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Agav [E], Agave [H,E], Aloe [E], American Aloe [H], American Century Plant [P], American Century-plant [B], American Sisal [E], Cocui [E], Cocuiza [E], Lu Sung Ma [E], Maguei [E], Maguey [E], Oloi [E], Pacpa [E], Penca [E], Piteira [E], Pitta [E], |
| Epithets: | From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets |
|
cana = grayed due to hairs
|
| Systematics: | From a USDA Plants Database |
|
Order: Liliales. Century-plant family
|
| Other Range Info: |
From the Ethnobotany Database |
|
Britain
China Germany Greece Haiti India(Santal) Italy Lesotho Mexico Mexico(Kickapoo) Portugal Turkey Us Venezuela
|
Physical Characteristics
An evergreen perennial growing to 7.5m by 2.5m at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 9 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies) and bats.
We rate it 3/5 for edibility and
3/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil.
The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.
It cannot grow in the shade.
It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Cultivated Beds, By Walls, By South Wall, By West Wall.Edible Uses
Leaves
Sap Seed Stem.
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].
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Antiseptic
Diaphoretic Diuretic Laxative Miscellany Odontalgic VD.
The sap of agaves has long been used in Central America as a binding
agent for various powders used as poultices on wounds[254]. The sap can also
be taken internally in the treatment of diarrhoea, dysentery etc[254].
The sap is antiseptic, diaphoretic, diuretic and laxative[21, 218, 240]. An
infusion of the chopped leaf is purgative and the juice of the leaves is
applied to bruises[218]. The plant is used internally in the treatment of
indigestion, flatulence, constipation, jaundice and dysentery[238]. The sap
has disinfectant properties and can be taken internally to check the growth
of putrefactive bacteria in the stomach and intestines[21].
Water in which agave fibre has been soaked for a day can be used as a scalp
disinfectant and tonic in cases of falling hair[21].
Steroid drug precursors are obtained from the leaves[238].
A gum from the root and leaf is used in the treatment of toothache[218].
The root is diaphoretic and diuretic[240]. It is used in the treatment of
syphilis[218, 240].
All parts of the plant can be harvested for use as required, they can also
be dried for later use. The dried leaves and roots store well[238].
Other Uses
Fibre
Insecticide Miscellany Needles Paper Pins Soap Soil reclamation Thatching.
The plant contains saponins. An extract of the leaves is used as a
soap[2]. The roots are used according to another report[238]. It is likely
that the root is the best source of the saponins that are used to make a
soap[K]. Chop up the leaves or the roots into small pieces and then simmer
them in water to extract the saponins. Do not over boil or you will start to
break down the saponins[K].
There is a report that the plant has insecticidal properties, but further
details are not given[218, 238].
A very strong fibre obtained from the leaves is used for making rope,
coarse fabrics etc[2, 61, 92, 238]. A paper can also be made from the
leaves[2].
The thorns on the leaves are used as pins and needles[2].
The dried flowering stems are used as a waterproof thatch[2] and as a razor
strop[89].
The plants are used in land-reclamation schemes in arid areas of the
world[238].
Cultivation details
Requires a very well-drained soil and a sunny position[1, 200].
The agave is not very hardy in Britain tolerating temperatures down to about
-3°
c if conditions are not wet[260]. It succeeds outdoors on the south coast
of England from Torbay westwards[11]. Plants survived lower temperatures
during the very cold winters from 1985/1987 and were unharmed at Glendurgan
gardens in West &ndndndnd[K].
A monocarpic species, the plant lives for a number of years without
flowering but dies once it does flower. However, it normally produces plenty
of suckers during its life and these continue growing, taking about 10 - 15
years in a warm climate, considerably longer in colder ones, before
flowering[11].
This plant is widely used by the native people in its wild habitat, it has a
wide range of uses.
In a warm climate suckers take 10 - 15 years to come into flower.
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[233].
Propagation
Seed - surface sow in a light position, April in a warm greenhouse. The
seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 20° c[133]. Prick out the seedlings
into individual pots of well-drained soil when they are large enough to
handle and grow them on in a sunny position in the greenhouse until they are
at least 20cm tall. Plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last
expected frosts, and give some protection from the cold for at least their
first few winters[K].
Offsets can be potted up at any time they are available. Keep in a warm
greenhouse until they are well established[200].
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
Web References
- [H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
- [E] Ethnobotany Data
(common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
- [B] Data
(Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
- [G] Data
(Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
- [PHARM] Phytochemical Data
(common names, uses, countries) from Dr Duke's Phytochemical Database.
- [P] Data.
(uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
- [HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database
References for Agave anericana (a possible synonym).
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
[72] Small. Manual of the Southeastern Flora.
Getting rather dated now, it covers Southeastern N. America. No pictures, it is not for the casual reader.
[85] Harrington. H. D. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press 1967 ISBN 0-8623-0343-9
A superb book. Very readable, it gives the results of the authors experiments with native edible plants.
[89] Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press 1987 ISBN 0-7012-0784-1
A very readable pocket flora that is well illustrated. Gives some information on plant uses.
[92] Balls. E. K. Early Uses of Californian Plants. University of California Press 1975 ISBN 0-520-00072-2
A nice readable book.
[95] Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976 ISBN 0-486-23310-3
Useful wild plants of America. A pocket guide.
[133] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan. 1987
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[213] Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980 ISBN 0-449-90589-6
A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.
[218] Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. Medicinal Plants of China Reference Publications, Inc. 1985 ISBN 0-917256-20-4
Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.
[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.
[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
[260] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998 ISBN 0-330-37376-5
Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.
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Plant information taken from the
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Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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