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.
Does the agave belong to the cactus family?
Agaves are not cacti, but like them they are succulents. They share similar characteristics and needs as cacti, including infrequent flowering, climatic requirements and substrate preferences, so they are often cultivated together.
The botanical classification of agaves and cacti
Agaves are not cacti, but they share various properties and location requirements with many cactus species. This is probably not least due to the fact that both the various types of agave and the cacti are so-called succulents. This general term generally includes plants that, due to the dry conditions in their natural locations, store a lot of moisture in their plant parts and can therefore survive long dry phases without special care. But there are also other special features that agaves share with many types of cacti.
The rarity of flowering in agaves
Many cacti are known for rarely flowering. It's similar with agaves: While some types of agaves that are used as houseplants can bloom after just a few years, with other types of agaves it sometimes takes decades until the first and sometimes only flowering occurs. It may even be the case that a magnificent agave that has lived for several decades almost inevitably dies after flowering. This rarity of agave flowering makes this genus of plants all the more interesting and challenging for some gardeners.
Similar climatic needs: Agaves also thrive in the cactus house
For 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 only have very limited winter hardiness, they are often cultivated in appropriately large planters (similar to cacti). In botanical gardens this effort is usually saved: there, agaves are grown on site 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 he alth of the agaves.
Agaves need cactus soil or similar as a substrate if possible
Agaves are not only grown under similar climatic conditions as cacti, they often also lead their owners to the same shelf in the garden center as cactus growers. So that you don't have to mix 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:
- Coarseness
- porous materials for sufficient root aeration
- a not too perfect storage capacity for moisture
When caring for agaves, plants dry out due to insufficient water rations. Signs of rot caused by waterlogging pose a much greater danger, but these can be partially avoided with a suitable substrate such as cactus soil.
Tip
If you are looking for rare types of agave, you should probably first look at dealers who also specialize in cacti. Due to the similar growth conditions, breeding and propagation often go hand in hand with cactus cultivation.
