Thread-leaf Agave in Fall 2020--Blooms, Bees, and Beyond

Also view "Thread-leaf Agave in Fall 2020--Emerging Stalk and Buds" video (12:19 runtime).

My observations of this thread-leaf agave with emerging stalk was October and November 2020. The October video's images are from October 7 through 29, ending with progressively denser bud clusters. For more info about this time period (emerging stalk, buds, similarity to Queen Victoria agave), read "Thread-leaf Agave in Fall 2020--Emerging Stalk and Buds".

My video's images are from November 3 through 20, which include blooms and bees, and also noting the increasing leftward lean of the stalk. (The final segment compares the lean over time.) I recently strolled to the area and saw bare ground, as though the plant was never there.

Filifera vs. Schidigera Agaves, Close Relatives

In researching my subject plant, I looked at several websites for differences between filifera and schidigera. Best help came from some sites that included descriptions and pix of both agaves.

"Agave Filifera Care: Growing Thread-Edge Agave Plants", mentions both filifera and schidigera being from the Asparagaceae family. Differentiation statement: "You can tell these two Agave plants apart as Agave filifera has less conspicuous and finer hairs on its leaves."

"Agave Care, Photos & Varieties" has a gallery of filifera, schidigera, and numerous additional agave types.

Ruth Bancroft Garden and World of Succulents each have separate webpages for filifera and schidigera, with descriptions and images.

From "Plant Highlight: Agave filifera":

• flower coloration: "stalk, buds, stamens and pistils are all dark purple or wine-colored, the face of the flower is a pale yellow, though it too may be flushed with purple"
• rosette-leaves: "sharp-tipped leaves are 6 to 12 inches"
• stalk: "6 1/2 to 8 feet tall"

"Plant Highlight: Agave schidigera"

• flower coloration: "pale yellow"
• rosette: "2 to 2 1/2 feet across"
• stalk: "8 to 15 feet [high]"

"Agave filifera (Thread Leaf Agave)"

• flower coloration: "yellowish-green to purple"
• rosette: "up to 3 feet [across]"
• stalk: "up to 11 1/2 feet [high]"

"Agave schidigera"

• flower coloration: "greenish-yellow"
• rosette: "up to 2 feet [across]"
• stalk: "up to 10 feet [high]"

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• "Thread-leaf Agave in Fall 2020--Emerging Stalk and Buds"
• "Thread-leaf Agave in Fall 2020--Blooms, Bees, and Beyond"

Thread-leaf Agave in Fall 2020--Emerging Stalk and Buds

Also view "Thread-leaf Agave in Fall 2020--Blooms, Bees, and Beyond" video (13:30 runtime).

Early October 2020, I spotted an agave with an emerging stalk (about 7' high). Also, the ballish shape of the leaves ("rosette") caught my eye. I've seen numerous agaves sprout stalks in spring. By the time I identified the plant as a thread-leaf agave, I found info about the stalk emergence and timing:

From "Thread-leaf Agave
Agave filifera subsp. schidigera"

At maturity, in late summer, it produces a flower stalk that reaches eight feet or more with attractive purple blossoms that occur on the upper part of the stalk.

From "Agave Filifera Care: Growing Thread-Edge Agave Plants"

When mature, Filifera will bloom by sending up a 6’ to 8’ foot long flower spike from the center of a rosette. There is no set time of year for this event to occur.

Incidentally, for excellent images and descriptions, visit "Agave filifera (Thread Leaf Agave)" and "Plant Highlight: Agave filifera".

I visited the plant several times during October and November, taking pix and recording videos. In readying for images and video clips, I decided to create two videos. This video (with October images) features the start of the emerging stalk and progressively denser bud clusters. (I even captured a gathering of deer.)

First Impression (Incorrect), Queen Victoria Agave

Initially, i thought the agave was a Queen Victoria agave. The base was ball-shaped, with short, arced leaves such the pic at "Queen Victoria Agave". In 2012, I had spotted a newly planted one with a small plastic ID stake. So cute that I took couple of pix and made a composite. 

I noticed when poring through online images that the somewhat spherical base ("rosette") had thread-like fibers, and that the leaves were pointy like yucca leaves. It turns out that my subject plant is a thread-leaf agave, aka filifera. 

Websites that Show Both Queen Victoria and Thread-leaf Agaves

• "12 Varieties and Types of Agave Plants"
• "The Most Beautiful Agave Plants and How to Care For Them"
• "15 Gorgeous Agave Plants"
• Dave's Garden Pages for Queen Victoria and thread-leaf agaves (scroll as necessary)
• "Agave Species, Queen Victoria Agave, Queen Victoria Century Plant, Maguey (Agave victoriae-reginae)"
• "Agave Species, Century Plant, Maguey, Thread Leaf Agave"

November Observations of Thread-leaf Agave

The other video (with November images) features blooms, bees, and post-bees, with noticing the increasing leftward lean of the stalk. (The closing section shows comparisons of the lean over time.) I recently strolled to the site and saw bare ground, as though the plant was never there.

The article WRT November 2020 agave images contrasts the filifera to a close relative, the schidigera, both part of the Asparagaceae family.

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• "Thread-leaf Agave in Fall 2020--Emerging Stalk and Buds"
• "Thread-leaf Agave in Fall 2020--Blooms, Bees, and Beyond"