In Mexico, the original home of many agave species, agaves form the economic basis of life for a large number of people. The actual way these extraordinary plants are used could come as a surprise to many a hobby gardener.

After flowering, agaves produce fruit with seed pods

The relatively rare flower of the agave

The name plant of the century was used for certain agaves in earlier times because some types of agave actually only flower after a relatively long time. In the case of the largest species of agave, it sometimes takes several decades before the flowers open for pollination at the upper end of an inflorescence that can be up to 12 meters high. In the ideal case, three-chambered capsules with flat black seeds inside form as fruits. Since the seeds are difficult to obtain due to the rare flowering, agaves are usually propagated in an uncomplicated manner by forming offshoots from the so-called children.

These products are made from parts of certain agaves

Based on the assortment in the supermarket, some gardeners could get the impression that agaves produce particularly sweet fruits. The so-called "agave syrup" is not made from the fruits, but from the stalk of certain agaves, which remains after the leaves have been cut off. In addition to the well-known agave syrup, the following economically important products are also made from parts of the agave:

  • sisal
  • mezcal
  • tequila

For the production of sisal, agave species such as the agave sisalana and the agave cantala are specifically cultivated on special sisal plantations. The blue agave (Agave tequilana) is used as a raw material for the production of the spirit Tequila, which is also considered to be a national drink of the Mexicans worldwide.

Beware of your own experiments with agaves

Some people confuse agave with aloe vera because of the relatively similar appearance of the leaves. You should refrain from trying to make tequila or agave syrup from the agaves in the garden yourself without the appropriate specialist knowledge, as certain types of agave can also be slightly poisonous.

tips

As soon as your agave starts flowering in the garden, you can also let the fruit or seeds ripen. Removing the bud stalk before it dries up doesn't prevent the notorious dying of plants after blooming. You have a better chance of the mother plant surviving even after the fruit has set if you remove existing children and carefully repot the plant.

Category:

Vegetable garden