Agave parrasana

[rnixon]

Hi there,

Here are a few photos taken in 2006 of Agave parrasana, another favorite of mine!

I encourage others with pics of this species to share them as well.

[Allen Repashy]

Here are a couple growing in my yard that are amongst my favorites also.

[Nick PGP]

Beautiful (that's all I wanted to say, but the forum wants at least 10 characters).

[William Ross]

Very nice, Allen.

I just picked up my first A. parrasana in a 5-in pot. It appears quite healthy and has 5 offshoots. Should I repot and pull the offshoots to plant in their own clay pots?

William.

[Allen Repashy]

I would be wary if your plant is in a five inch pot and has five offsets that your plant is not a true A. parrasana. For a long time, people have been selling a plant on ebay and elsewhere, often called "Desert Rose" that is small and pups a lot. This plant doesn't look at all like any parrasana I have ever seen. The parrasana I have grown from seed, and other true to type plants I have, look completely different and though they do pup, do not do so readily until a larger size.

[William Ross]

And here I thought I'd found something. I don't know what a mistake is until I've made one. Thank you.

[luan]

i am sorry,i can not paste the photo on,,,

[Allen Repashy]

Hi luan,

I have written a tutorial that hopefully will assist you in ways that you can include photo's in your posts. Let me know if you have any problems.




How to add Photos or Video to your Photo Album, Group Photo Galleries, and Posts








Allen

[forksphoto]

I have a couple of those questionable plants that send out a lot of pups. They were purchased from Home Depot here in San Antonio and labeled "Confederate Rose Agave - Agave parrasana".

Here are two photos of one of the plants.








Also , Rob, is that Faxon's Yucca in the background of your photos? Do you know?

Best
Joe

[Allen Repashy]

Hey Joe,

First, welcome to the community and thanks for jumping in. The Agave in your photo looks a bit like Agave potatorum 'verschaffeltii' to me, which seems like an again different plant to some others I have seen as Agave 'Desert Rose', or Agave 'Confederate Rose' ... I think a lot of plants to out to the Big Box stores under the same name. For example, if a grower, has a SKU for an Agave 'Confederate Rose', and Home Depot orders a few thousand of them..... The grower will be more motivated to fill the order than loose any sales, so they often just substitute anything of similar size and shape... I don't think there ae many Home Depot employees who can tell the difference, and it is pretty easy to get away with... Echeveria's are constantly mislabeled also....


The motivation of the dollar, and the pressure to fill orders is a bad combination for those looking for properly labeled plants


Allen

[forksphoto]

Allen,
Thanks much for the info. It makes a lot of sense of course. I'm only slightly disappointed. I have a strong connection to the natural habitat of true parrasana, but I'm still fond of these plants. They were only a few bucks and I love them.

Best
Joe

[rnixon]

Hi Joe,

Nice to see yet another guy with interests that tend to compliment one another! Honestly, I'm not sure whether the yucca growing along side A. parrasana in the photo is Y. faxoniana or Y. carnerosana. Both Brian Kemble and Greg Starr were on that trip as well. Perhaps one of them can weigh in with a positive ID.

Rob

[forksphoto]

Thanks Rob! I see you've been to some of my favorite places on earth! I wish my skin were a little darker and I was fluent in espanol.

[agavegreg]

Yucca carnerosana has been lumped in with Y. faxoniana, so that Yucca is indeed Y. faxoniana.

Greg

[Nick PGP]

Not enough time in the day to reply earlier, but....

I have plants of true A. parrasana that pup heavily, even, or especially, when young.

It seems that in European cultivation we have clones of certain species that are getting around purely becauase they sucker so readily. I have a A. guiengola that also proliferates profusely, mainly from the actual stem.

[GermanStar]

Originally Posted by Allen Repashy

Hey Joe,

First, welcome to the community and thanks for jumping in. The Agave in your photo looks a bit like Agave potatorum 'verschaffeltii' to me, which seems like an again different plant to some others I have seen as Agave 'Desert Rose', or Agave 'Confederate Rose' ... I think a lot of plants to out to the Big Box stores under the same name. For example, if a grower, has a SKU for an Agave 'Confederate Rose', and Home Depot orders a few thousand of them..... The grower will be more motivated to fill the order than loose any sales, so they often just substitute anything of similar size and shape... I don't think there ae many Home Depot employees who can tell the difference, and it is pretty easy to get away with... Echeveria's are constantly mislabeled also....


The motivation of the dollar, and the pressure to fill orders is a bad combination for those looking for properly labeled plants


Allen

I just picked up an Agave 'Confederate Rose' myself, and found this thread while exploring its identity. It was marked A. parrasana, but the leaves are wrong (too elongate) and it has multiple pups. My conclusion is as yours, the plant is either A. potatorum or possibly a hybrid, although just like A. parrasana, A. potatorum is described as a solitary species. I guess it doesn't really matter, it is what it is and I like it. I bought it because it isn't A. parryi truncata and it's blue. Still, it would be nice to assign a meaningful name to it.

[Kelly Griffin]

Yes this is too bad. I was at home depot in vista today and there it was an Agave cv 'blue rose' or Agave 'confederate rose' labeled as Agave parrasana. It keeps the errors going. I will try to find out who supplies these and just see what they have to say. It's too bad but hell RSN does it too!

Where are the plant police when you need them?

I believe this mystery plant to be a form of potatorum based on leaf and flowers which by the way I managed to cross it with the large form of Agave utahensis eborespina and the seedlings seem to be strangely interesting.

[GermanStar]

I'm sure another of Allen's assessments from Post #10 is also correct. If you search "Agave Confederate Rose" online you'll find pics of different plants. Mine is the blue one with A. Potatorum leaves.

[Boo Hollow]

[quote=Kelly Griffin;4477]Yes this is too bad. I was at home depot in vista today and there it was an Agave cv 'blue rose' or Agave 'confederate rose' labeled as Agave parrasana. It keeps the errors going. I will try to find out who supplies these and just see what they have to say.

Kelly - check with Altman's. The big box stores have contracts with them to provide all of their succulents. They need to fill the orders and as an FYI to the group, the reason the plants often look like crap is that the sales agreement is that Altman's does not get paid unless the plant goes through the scanner and money collected by the big box store. So no motivation for them to maintain the plants. It is more akin to leasing some sales space from them to peddle your wares. Tragic. Although I heard that Altman's did 93 million in sales in 2008. So they are doing something right

[amanzed]

I have this same problem with Altman's labels (and I'm growing this same small, sorta charming, clumping, glaucous, blue agave sold as 'parrasana').

As I learned more, at first I was shocked at how many plants were mislabeled. Now I just chuckle and feel superior. [Come on, you know you do, too.]

Then I ask myself, would I like to receive a guess from the seller (in the form of label with a 10-20% chance of being wrong) or a complete punt in the form of a label which says:

Congratulations! You have bought a SUCCULENT PLANT. Plant in well drained soil and allow soil to dry between watering.

$93 million, eh? That's some scale.

--d.
sentientmeat.net

[agavemonger]

Kudos, Zed!

My "Guerrilla Gardening" approach also involves a concerted and long term effort to do my small part in helping to overturn the absolutely torpid and pathetic state of affairs in the nursery business these days!

Just like discussed in "that" guerrilla gardening thread, the corporate realm has created new realities (yes, even in the nursery business) where these idiots think they can cram what they know to be good for us down our throats whenever and however they please! (We don't know any better now, do we?) Simply eliminate all competition, variability and ingenuity. The sku-on-our-foreheads nursery business as Atlas Shrugged.

Thirty years ago, the competition in the nursery business was intense; the only way to survive was through more varieties, better labeling and packaging (pots), competitive pricing, and agro salesmanship. It was fun, there was lots of camaraderie, and everyone was busy and happy!

There is an unseen revolution brewing against the insidious evil of the very theory of the corporation and the insipid greed and corpulent political flatulence that permeates every corner of our society. The gruel they serve us in the hog trough has gotten way old. Just when these bastards think they are about to win is when we must strike! Overturn the system completely from within! A quiet revolution! All in All, it's just one less brick in the wall!

Many of us are working deep behind the scenes to re-introduce an overwhelming plethora of long-forgotten heirloom succulents, along with incredible species new to cultivation. You will also soon see an amazing array of mind-bending new hybrid plants. And there are hundreds of exciting new cultivars just begging to be introduced. But we must abandon our big-box addictions and shop homegrown!

I can feel the new wave coming; it's at the shows, and it's feebly starting to come to the mom-&-pop nurseries. And it is building...

(Sorry, but I couldn't help myself: I just had to add my political two pennies before Allen shuts this thread down too!)

gorilla monger

[Brandon]

My first agave was bought at Lowes, labeled as such, and from Altmans. It has similar spines to agave parrasana, but the overall plant shape is different. (I had this same question some time ago) So is it a. Potatorum, a hybrid, or a variety of parrasana? Best guesses?
-Brandon

[agavegreg]

Can you post a photo?

Originally Posted by Brandon

My first agave was bought at Lowes, labeled as such, and from Altmans. It has similar spines to agave parrasana, but the overall plant shape is different. (I had this same question some time ago) So is it a. Potatorum, a hybrid, or a variety of parrasana? Best guesses?
-Brandon

[Brandon]

Not really good tech wise, but posted some of my first pics in my album. My "agave Parrasana" is pictured there!
Thanks
-Brandon

[Brandon]

Ill try and put a more clear picture up later!