Agaves are regularly referred to as cacti by some plant lovers. This classification certainly has its reasons, but strictly speaking it is not really correct.

Agaves and cacti have very similar requirements

The botanical classification of agaves and cacti

Although agaves are not cacti, they share various properties and location requirements with many cacti species. This is probably not least due to the fact that both the various species of agave and cacti belong to the so-called succulents. This generic term generally includes plants that store a lot of moisture in their plant parts due to the drought that prevails in their natural locations and can therefore survive long dry phases without special care. But there are also other special features that the agaves share with many types of cacti.

The rarity of flowering in agaves

Many cacti are known to flower only very rarely. The situation is similar with agaves: while some agave species commonly used as houseplants can flower after a few years, other agave species sometimes take decades before the first and sometimes only flowering. It can even happen that a magnificent agave with a lifespan of several decades almost inevitably dies after flowering. This rarity of flowering agaves makes this genus of plants all the more interesting and challenging for some gardeners.

Similar climatic needs: Agaves also thrive in the cactus house

In the case of private agave lovers, older specimens are often brought from the summer location to the winter quarters and back with great effort. Since some agave species are only hardy to a very limited extent, they are often cultivated (similar to cacti) in correspondingly large planters. In botanical gardens, this exertion is usually spared: there, agaves are grown on the spot in the cactus house under mild climate conditions all year round. In contrast to a greenhouse with tropical conditions, the humidity here is generally much lower, which is very beneficial to the plant health of the agaves.

Agaves need cactus soil or something similar as a substrate

Not only are agaves grown in similar climates to cacti, they often put their owners on the same shelf in the garden center as cacti growers. So that you don't have to mix up a suitable agave soil yourself from various porous and coarse-grained materials, you can simply use commercially available soil for cacti. This is characterized by:

  • grittiness
  • porous materials for sufficient root aeration
  • a not too perfect storage capacity for moisture

Rarely when tending to agaves do plants dry out due to insufficient water rations. Signs of rot caused by waterlogging represent a much greater danger, but this can be partially avoided with a suitable substrate such as cactus soil.

tips

If you're looking for rare species of agave, you might want to start by looking at retailers who also specialize in cacti. Due to the similar growth conditions, breeding and propagation often go hand in hand with cacti breeding.

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Vegetable garden