What a difference almost a year makes. Photo above taken May 2015. Agave ‘Mateo’ is directly in front of the varigateted agave, swamped in grass, leaf tips just visible.
Not a a nice way to treat a prize agave, but I do get impatient with bare ground. As ‘Mateo’ has been gradually bulking up, I’ve been thinning his compadres.
Gone: The variegated Agave sisalana. A small pup was potted up. This agave is a traveler.
Gone: Adenanthos sericeus, Coastal Woolybush. Perished from natural causes. I planted another one elsewhere this fall because it’s too lovable to live without.
Gone: The variegated St. Augustine grass — well, most of it anyway. We’ll see what turns up later in the year.
Remained: Agave ‘Mateo,’ a suspected cross of bracteosa/squid agave and lophantha. When young, this agave is not much to look at.
And I’ve only seen one mature specimen before, but it was magnificent. Beautiful, airy architecture with those stacked curving leaves.
Probably from lophantha it gets that subtle coloring on the leaves, a faint central band.
I wish I’d noted when I planted it, but I’d say it’s doubled in size in the ground.
Now that he’s finally making good size, I’m giving him some room. I think this is going to be ‘Mateo’s’ leap year.
That last photo really captures the beauty of it. Hope it does leap this year as I want to see what it’s like when bigger!
Yes, he’s a handsome fellow alright. I got one also, and still wonder where to place it. Here’s to a great “leap”!
I’ve got one too, about the same size as yours it appears. It produced a pup, still only inches tall, which I moved elsewhere.
Beautiful! I hope you will get the leap you’re hoping for.
You really had me with that first photo. I stared and stared and could not find the Agave ‘Mateo’…but now, wow, he’s a looker! I have one larger (for now, but not for long I’m sure) that’s in a container for safe keeping, and another, a little smaller that yours, in the ground — planted last spring. So far so good, he seems to be handling our winter as well as his A. bracteosa parent.
I bought ‘Mateo’ last year at the flower and garden show, and put it in the ground. Haven’t even checked on it yet this year. I hope it isn’t mush. Yours looks much better with more air around it.
@Alan, I was really surprised when I saw a mature one, which kind of snapped me to attention about taking better care of this one.
@Hoov, you have lots of options for placement, without crowding!
@Kris, hmm, haven’t seen a pup on mine yet. I’ll keep a lookout, thanks.
@Renee, it seems to be on its way, so we’ll see!
@Loree, isn’t that first photo appallingly busy? It looks fairly calm now, but the Crambe maritima is just leafing out…
@Alison, don’t all agaves look better when you can actually see their outline? Crowding is such a sin of mine…
Great photos of ‘Mateo’. I have one in the ground but it’s in a crammed spot that limits its ability to shine. Fortumately, I pulled off a pup a while ago, and I’ll plant it in a better place.