Flamboyant Fantastic Foliage for containers. Agave and Hesperaloe

Published on 2 July 2020

Nothing says the Mediterranean like an Agave or Aloe so if your clients holiday plans are disrupted this year bring the Med to them. Agave and Hesperaloe are made for growing in containers and lend themselves seamlessly to being planted in contemporary style pots on a patio, sunny window ledge or arranged in formation on decking and even dotted alongside other plants in borders. Versatile and very cute. Aloes are virtually fuss free – no slug damage here!

Ornamental toothed leaves are the order of the day with an Aloe and fabulous foliage colour too. Let’s have a look at what we have here:

Agave lophanta Quadricolor. Small and perfectly formed. Dark green central stripes to the leaves are complemented on both sides by pale green stripes and yellow edges. To top it all the leaves are lined with rows of dark red teeth. In very sunny conditions the red teeth darken. In colder weather or extreme drought the leaves take on a pink to red colour adding to the all round interest.
Agave lophanta Splendida. A hardy Agave that forms rosettes of long, upright dark green leaves with a lighter central stripe on the upper and lower leaf surface. The white teeth along the leaf edges add a certain drama to the leaf.
Agave desmettiana Variegata. Smooth leaved curved leaves of green edged with yellow margins give this Agave a fabulous silhouette.
Agave funkiana Blue Haze. An appealing plant purely because of the name alone! Striking foliage of powdery blue with a lighter central stripe to the leaf.
Hesperaloe parviflora. I have to confess to loving this plant. Native to Mexico is fully hardy and drought tolerant and also very lovely indeed! Coral red flowers are produced on long arching stems above long grass like blue-green leaves that have fine threads along the length of the foliage. Apparently, the foliage takes on a purple – red – bronze tint in colder weather. Bring on the winter!