Agave impressa Impressive

Agave impressa 'Impressive' will delight collectors and enthusiasts. This plant was selected for its striking design from a population of Agave impressa, a botanical species that grows on volcanic rocks in eastern Mexico. This plant forms a regular, dense rosette composed of leaves that are light green and sometimes yellow, finely edged with white. The originality of this agave lies in the fact that the white margin of the upper leaves is imprinted on the lamina of the developing lower leaves, creating a unique pattern on the scale of the rosette. The plant, which is not very hardy, will suffer at the first sign of frost. Planted in a large pot, it will eventually become a beautiful specimen to display on a terrace or balcony during the summer.

Agave impressa belongs to the Asparagaceae family (formerly Agavaceae), just like Yuccas. In nature, it is found more to the east of the states of Sinaloa and Nayarit in Mexico, on volcanic soils, in full sun or partial shade. This perennial succulent herbaceous plant, with slow growth, does not produce offsets. It reproduces only by its seeds or by propagation, for example in vitro. 'Impressive' forms a rosette that reaches about 1m (3ft) in all directions at maturity. It is composed of rather long, stiff, triangular to lanceolate fleshy leaves, which are slightly concave. The lamina is light green to yellowish green, ending in a strong grey-brown spine. The margins are often rounded teeth, covered with a white bloom. The presence of white lines on the leaves results from the intense compression of the young leaves in the central bud. After many years, when a rosette is mature, it produces a flowering stalk reaching about 2.3m (7ft) in height. Unbranched, it bears yellowish green flowers. The rosette, called semelparous, dies after this flowering which lasts several months.

'Impressive' agave will suit a contemporary terrace or a large rockery in warm regions spared from frost. It can be planted with other agaves, Opuntia, candle cacti, and other Dasylirions, for example. This agave is most often cultivated in a pot on a terrace, among a collection of cacti. Overwinter the plant in a bright room kept frost-free but minimally heated.

Agave is also an edible plant used in Mexico to make mescal, an alcoholic beverage obtained by fermenting its juice rich in sugars. It is also used in traditional medicine in Mexico, Brazil, and India, and has proven anti-fungal properties. The inflorescences are highly attractive to many pollinating insects.