Dasylirion texanum - Sotol

The Dasylirion texanum is undoubtedly one of the easiest to grow in many areas, due to its better resistance to cold and damp, if planted in properly drained soil. Its appearance is similar to that of its cousin Dasylirion glaucophyllum, D. serratifolium and D. wheeleri, but it is recognised by its pale green colour, without a blueish hue, and its very narrow leaves. It forms beautiful spherical rosettes that are highly decorative and, after many years, it produces a tall flowering stem adorned with small cream flowers. It is a trendy, architectural plant, decorative all year round, that requires very little care, but makes a statement in a minimalist garden or on a contemporary terrace. Dasylirion can be grown both in the ground and in pots. 

Originating from southern Texas, an area where temperatures are scorching in summer but harsh in winter, the Dasylirion texanum is able to withstand temperatures around -15°C (5 °F), even -20°C (-4 °F) in very dry soil. It will therefore adapt to many gardens, as long as it is planted in a raised bed, on a slope, or in rocky or stony soil. Like all Dasylirions, it tolerates long periods of summer drought and is indifferent to the presence of limestone. 

It is a rhizomatous plant belonging to the agave family, with very slow growth in dry soil (even slower than other Dasylirions), and a slightly faster growth in moist soil. When young, the dasylirion forms a dense, shaggy ball. After many years, it can develop a partially underground false trunk, covered with remnants of old leaves, brown in colour, forming a sort of skirt. These can be pruned to highlight the trunk. The trunk often ends up lying down without stopping its growth. It bears a spherical crown 1m (3 ft 4 in) to 1.50m (4 ft 11 in) wide, composed of several hundred succulent, radiating leaves, 1cm (0.4 in) wide, bordered by small hooked teeth and ending in a small tuft of fibres. The leaves are stiff and tough. Flowering occurs after 10 to 15 years of cultivation, in summer. A thin upright flowering stem emerges from the centre of the rosette, 2m (6 ft 7 in) to 2.50m (8 ft 2 in) above the ground, among the leaves. The very small cream-coloured flowers are tightly packed together in the upper part of the flowering stem and remain on the plant for a long time, often until winter. Male plants are distinct from female plants. When watered during summer, this Dasylirion shows spectacular growth. Careful consideration should be given to the plant's placement, as its fragile root system does not tolerate disturbance and transplantation very well, unlike agaves. This plant does not die after flowering, as a secondary bud on the main axis takes over. When watered during the summer, this dasylirion grows spectacularly.

The Dasylirion texanum is an extremely architectural desert plant, with its sea urchin-like vegetation that plays wonderfully with light. Stunning in a large pot with simple shapes, it is perfect in a minimalist garden. Give it plenty of sunlight and soil that does not retain water, as it dislikes heavy and damp soil in winter. It is perfect on a large arid slope, at the top of a large exotic or contemporary rockery, or even near a swimming pool, provided the soil is well prepared to receive it. To cover its base, consider a blanket of silver basket, Cerastostigma plumbaginoides, Delosperma or a dryland lawn called Zoyzia tenuifolia, the mascarene grass. It can also be paired with agaves, prickly pears, hardy columnar cacti (Cleistocactus strausii, Cylindropuntia imbricata), and equally spectacular and frugal Aloe shrubs.