Native to Southern California and other southern states of North America, as well as Central and South America, Agave plants are a unique plant that can provide many benefits with its existence, whether naturally occurring or newly planted.
One of the Agave's best characteristics is its ability to grow in dry conditions, making it perfect for xeriscape landscaping. 'Xeric' means drought tolerant and agaves are a welcome addition to any landscape in the arid conditions of Southern California.
Part of the monocot genus, agaves are distinctive with their succulent leaves forming rosette shapes. While they can look similar to aloe, which are also monocots, they are not closely related. Growing much larger and with more substantial thorns than aloe, agaves can be bright green to grey and silvery in color. They store water in their leaves and the leaves are fibrous with thorny teeth to protect them from being eaten. When they flower, they send off a tall, singular shoot, up to forty feet, with tubular blooms, pictured to the left.
Easy to take care of, agaves are super low maintenance. Their roots require air and water so they need good drainage, and can even do well in pots with a cactus or succulent soil mixture that has organic porous materials that helps trap air and keep the soil from suffocating the roots. They grow slowly, but once established, they are very hardy.
In addition to growing from seeds, most agaves produce 'pups' or young plants from runners. They are easy to propagate making them fun to grow.
Agave is edible and is used to make tequila, which is made from blue agave. Also harvested from agave is the syrup, a sweetener which is sweeter than sugar, requiring less for the same sweetness.
Adding agave is a natural choice for a Southern California garden. Having a variety of shapes and textures can make a xeriscape garden more visibly appealing and agave certainly delivers!
If you want help to plan your landscape project, let us help. We have experts in all areas of landscaping, and can handle projects any size. We also offer maintenance programs for commercial and private properties. Contact us today!
Recently California's Governor Newsom expanded the drought emergency declaration to 50 counties in California, signing an executive order asking all Californians to save water by 15%.
Not included in the list is Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco and Ventura counties of Southern California. At this time Southern California's drought situation is considered to be not as bad as other counties because it gets it's water from Federal and state water systems and according to the LA Times, "The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which imports water from the Colorado River and the north, says it has record reserves in regional reservoirs and groundwater banks — enough to carry it through this year and next. Los Angeles, which is partly supplied by the MWD, similarly doesn’t anticipate shortages, officials said last month." Even though all counties are not under the order, it is important all of California tries to save water to help with continuing drought conditions.
Newsom is asking Californians to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15 percent compared to 2020 levels through simple actions such as reducing landscape irrigation, running dishwashers and washing machines only when full, finding and fixing leaks, installing water-efficient showerheads and taking shorter showers. These voluntary efforts complement specific local conservation mandates already in place in some communities experiencing acute water shortage conditions this summer.
“The realities of climate change are nowhere more apparent than in the increasingly frequent and severe drought challenges we face in the West and their devastating impacts on our communities, businesses and ecosystems,” said Governor Newsom. “The entire state is in a drought today, and to meet this urgent challenge we must all pull together and do our part to reduce water use as California continues to build a more climate resilient water system to safeguard the future of our state. We’re proud of the tremendous strides made to use water more efficiently and reduce water waste, but we can all find opportunities this summer to keep more water in reserve as this drought could stretch into next year and beyond.”
State officials estimate an additional 15 percent voluntary reduction by urban water users from 2020 levels could save as much as 850,000 acre-feet of water over the next year for future use, or enough to supply more than 1.7 million households for a year.
Some of the easiest ways to save water outdoors is listed below from SaveOurWater.com:
Doing even a few of these can make a big difference in your water usage! Our professionals are experts in smart irrigation, drought tolerant trees and plants, soft and hard scapes, combined with good drainage to create landscaped areas that are totally water efficient! Contact us today and see what we can do for you!
Updated: Jul 5, 2021
Air plants, scientifically known as Tillandsia, are a genus of over 650 species made up of numerous ferns, evergreens, bromeliads, and orchids growing on tree trunks in tropical areas. Most are epiphytes, which translates as 'on a plant', and means just that, they live on other plants or hosts but they are not parasitic, rather just like to hang on. Some can even live on rocks, roofs, and telephone lines, and are called lithophytic. They are easy to care for and can add interesting, living elements to indoor and outdoor spaces in climates like Southern California's.
Their Roots
They are called air plants because their roots are exposed to air and there is no soil covering them. Their small roots are used to help them hold on like feet and do not absorb nutrients like regular roots. Instead air plants use trichomes, sponge like cells on their leaves that can rapidly absorb water and nutrients.
They are very abundant in the Amazon rainforest and are found in their native habitat across the Southern US, Mexico, Central and South America. Since they are easy to care for, people are now growing them all over the world.
A Diverse Genus
There are a multitude of traits making this a diverse genus. Air plants are usually either green or gray in color. The green species come from cool and low humidity climates and prefer the lower, shadier levels of the forest. The leaves are usually softer and do not like direct sun. The gray species like hotter, drier climates and can be found in the upper forests and these are the varieties that can even grow on rocks. Their leaves are usually sturdier and can take direct sun.
One of the flowering species come from the bromeliad family and offer beautiful shades of yellow orange, red, all the way to pink and purple, and multi-colored blooms which are bright to attract pollinators, essential for their survival. Common pollinators are hummingbirds, moths, and bats. The single bloom is a stalk of a paddle, funnel, or spiky shaped flower and leaves that does a great job collecting and holding water.
Air Plant Care
Air plants are so easy, but they do need a little care. Green plants need more watering and less sun than the gray varieties. Even though many say to just mist them with water once or twice a week, they also need a good soak upside down in water for at least 30 minutes, or even overnight, every three to four weeks to really thrive. If the leaves start to curl it's a sign that it needs more water. You can trim the roots back or off, they do not need them.
Temp wise they are easy too, and can be happy in temperatures ranging from 50 to 90 degrees fahrenheit! Good air circulation is important so avoid terrariums with small openings. Plants that are flowering are showing that they are happy and healthy.
Depending on the variety, many air plants can create a pup, a smaller version of itself, off to one side, which can be removed once it is about half the size of the mother plant and it will propagate into an adult.
Air plants can be put just about anywhere making them fun to decorate with, unlike plants needing a pot and dirt. Be creative and replanting is easy! Just move it!
