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: Nov 13, 2020
Living in our beautiful state has its challenges with water. Luckily, our climate allows for a wide variety of native plants as well as plants from other similar regions. The key to thriving plants is great irrigation.
Once you know your soil is conducive to the plants your are planting, making sure your irrigation is working right and has these elements for top efficiency and thriving plants:
Good complete coverage of area
Watering at the roots
Minimum runoff
A smart controller
Existing Systems Can be updated Without Being Replaced
Automatic controllers can waste water because they always come on, despite conditions, unless managed. Switching it out for a smart one that can sense when to water can make a big difference in saving water and helping plants to thrive by not being over watered.
Sprinkler heads can also be updated to spray with less evaporation and more direct control. Rotators can help let water absorb while watering other areas. Drip systems are a great way to get to the roots with as little waste as possible.
Updating your system with these elements will make a huge difference in your water bill and your plants will thrive!
