Agave tequilana ‘Weber’s Blue’
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Weber’s Blue Agave
| Evergreen-Deciduous | Evergreen |
|---|---|
| Overall Mature Size | Medium |
| Mature Height & Spread | 5' x 5' |
| Exposure | Full sun |
| Water | Medium, Low Water |
| Flower Color | Yellow |
| Bloom Time | Infrequent |
| Special Features | Deer Resistant, Low Water Use |
| Container Sizes | #1, #5, #15 |
| Natural Growth Habit | Clumping |
| Sunset Garden Zones | 12-24 |
| Minimum USDA Hardiness Zone | 8 |
| Plant Type | Succulent |
Agave tequilana commonly called blue agave tequila agave mezcal or maguey is an agave plant that is an important economic product of Jalisco Mexico due to its role as the base ingredient of tequila a popular distilled spirit. The high production of sugars—mostly in the form of fructose—in the core of this plant is the most important characteristic of the plant making it suitable for the preparation of alcoholic beverages.
The tequila agave is a native of Jalisco Mexico. The tequila agave favors high altitudes of more than 1500 meters and grows in rich and sandy soils. While commercial and wild agaves have different life cycles both grow into large succulents with spiky fleshy leaves that can reach over two meters in height. Wild agaves however sprout a shoot when about five years old that can grow an additional five meters and are topped with yellow flowers.
The flowers are pollinated by a native bat and produce several thousand seeds per plant. The plant then dies. The shoots are removed when about a year old from commercial plants to allow the heart to grow larger. The plants are then reproduced by planting these shoots; this has led to a considerable loss of genetic diversity in cultivated blue agave.
