Variegated Agave 'Marginata' (Agave americana)

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Xenomorf Phoenix, AZ(Zone 9b) May 29, 2004

Variegated Agave 'Marginata'
Agave americana

Post #888517

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Xenomorf Phoenix, AZ(Zone 9b) Sep 21, 2004

It appears there is also Agave americana 'variegata' that looks similar to 'marginata'
Specifically, what are the differences between 'variegata' and 'marginata'.??

Post #1059659

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Xenomorf Phoenix, AZ(Zone 9b) Sep 21, 2004

bump....

I wouldnt want this to be incorrectly ID'd.

Post #1060097

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RWhiz Spring Valley, CA(Zone 10a) Sep 21, 2004

Here's an Agave americana marginata that I had to take down last year. The base of the spike got to be about 20 inches in diameter and the height was maybe 37-38 feet.

-Ron-

Post #1060250

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RWhiz Spring Valley, CA(Zone 10a) Sep 21, 2004

Here's an Agave americana medio-picta. It doesn't get quite as large and pups a lot. The white stripe is down the middle and it is a much lighter color.

-Ron-

Post #1060255

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Xenomorf Phoenix, AZ(Zone 9b) Sep 21, 2004

OK, I understand difference between 'mediopicta' and 'marginata'
The question, Is it 'marginata' or 'variegata'
they apparently seem to be differnt varieties listed in the PDB
Here:
http://davesgarden.com/pdb/search.php?search_text=agave+americana

Post #1060259

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faeden SF Bay Area, CA(Zone 9b) Sep 22, 2004

Agave americana v. marginata and Agave americana v. variegata are two different plants. There are also several other variations and subspecies of A. americana, and they can become very confusing unless you're an expert (which I'm not!).

According to Mary and Gary Irish in "Agaves, Yuccas and Related Plants": "Agave americana also has several variegated forms, many of which have a perplexing series of names." They go on to discuss these but not in a particularly scientific or taxonomic context, and do not mention A. americana v. variegata in the discussion.

Howard Scott Gentry, in "Agaves of Continental North America," keys out Agave americana v. marginata and A. americana v. variegata as follows:

A. a. v. marginata has a gray or green leaf with whitish or yellow margins;
A. a. v. variegata has a leaf which is dark green and yellow, twisted.

So it appears to me that many of the Agaves which are identified as A. americana v. variegata are in fact A. americana v. marginata. The two look basically the same except in the case of A. americana v. variegata the leaves are also twisted.

Is anyone besides me completely confused yet?