Plant Care Library

Other Names:  Century Plant

Description:

A smaller, non-clumping rosette of green, sword-like leaves that are covered with white threads; produces a towering spike with greenish-brown flowers when rosette matures; a great visual accent for indoor planters in bright locations

Features & Attributes

Thread-leaf Agave features bold spikes of green cup-shaped flowers with brown overtones rising above the foliage in early spring. Its attractive succulent sword-like leaves remain green in color with prominent white stripes throughout the year.

This is a multi-stemmed evergreen houseplant with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively coarse texture stands it apart from other indoor plants with finer foliage. This plant usually looks its best without pruning, although it will tolerate pruning.

Planting & Growing

When grown indoors, Thread-leaf Agave can be expected to grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity extending to 4 feet tall with the flowers, with a spread of 18 inches. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. This houseplant requires direct sun for optimal performance, and should therefore be situated in a room that gets bright sunlight for a good part of the day; it is not a good choice for rooms lit only by artificial light. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and may die if left in standing water for any length of time. This plant should be watered when the surface of the soil gets dry, and will need watering approximately once each week. Be aware that your particular watering schedule may vary depending on its location in the room, the pot size, plant size and other conditions; if in doubt, ask one of our experts in the store for advice. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in poor soil. Contact the store for specific recommendations on pre-mixed potting soil for this plant.

There are many factors that will affect the ultimate height, spread and overall performance of a plant when grown indoors; among them, the size of the pot it's growing in, the amount of light it receives, watering frequency, the pruning regimen and repotting schedule. Use the information described here as a guideline only; individual performance can and will vary. Please contact the store to speak with one of our experts if you are interested in further details concerning recommendations on pot size, watering, pruning, repotting, etc.

-- THIS IS A HOUSEPLANT AND IS NOT MEANT TO SURVIVE THE WINTER OUTDOORS IN OUR CLIMATE --