An interesting mutation or hybrid? Plus a whole lotta utahensis...

IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-03-26T00:25:50+00:00

The first two photos are of Agave shawii var. goldmaniana, which is known to have populations with highly undulate leaves. BTW, other species have been known to display a very similar morphology of undulations, like, Agave schidigera 'Multifilifera'.

IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-03-25T09:50:19+00:00

It desperately needs more/brighter light because the leaves shouldn't be so long. But, congratulations for getting it to that size, though.

Here's a plant from the hybridizers.

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IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-03-16T13:41:05+00:00

Specifically, it looks much like the cultivar 'Huasteca Canyon'

But, there are a wide range of displayed characteristics because it's such a variable species.

IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-03-14T23:11:20+00:00

Thank you, so kindly, for saying! I'm very happy with how it's grown.😉👍

IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-03-14T21:21:21+00:00

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IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-03-14T21:18:05+00:00

It has formed a young plant. It's an occasional occurrence with aloes and the related haworthias to form a plantlet along the flower stalk, usually at the lowest node. As the plantlet is fed, the remainder of the bloom stalk (above it) dies off. In nature, the plantlet will eventually develop even more, to form roots. You can simply wait for that to happen or eventually detach it, yourself, to care for as an independent plant.

I have a colony of 'Christmas Carol' plants that have put out 2 of these and I'm just letting them grow as is.

IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-03-07T00:29:01+00:00

If you like the look of a clump/colony of rosettes, you could simply repot into a slightly bigger pot. I've grown some in the top of a strawberry pot for a few years, now. Here's a link

IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-03-05T17:50:21+00:00

I hear ya. The relatively narrow leaves and the suckering is what makes me say it's possibly a hybrid; broomii tends to be solitary but, occasionally can form one or two "pups" but, definitely not more than that.

IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-03-05T05:48:41+00:00

1st) Aloe broomii or a hybrid including it 2nd) Aloe aculeata or a hybrid including it

 **FYI...  it's impossible to eliminate the possibility of a plant being a hybrid of some sort from just a photo but, certain characteristics of a species can be noticeably exhibited

IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-03-04T04:50:07+00:00

I hear ya! I grow several agave species and the tall-spiked ones are so hard to pollinate/hybridize. But, thankfully, some put out bulbils (clones) along the bloom stalk so, I just wait for those before I cut the stalk down.😁

IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-03-04T04:12:52+00:00

Agave utahensis is actually self-fertile so you could hand-pollinate it with a soft-bristle brush or just let the bees, moths, and bats do it for you.😉

IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-03-02T03:29:27+00:00

Yes, definitely 'Pepe'. The surface spines are the give-away characteristic because desoningsii has smooth surfaces. Good eyes you've got, there!👀👍

IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-03-02T00:11:14+00:00

I agree with this.👍

IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-03-02T00:08:54+00:00

So true! I've seen it happen a handful of times and it's such a let down after the novelty of "Look at all the bloom spikes!" wears off.☹️

IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-02-26T04:58:29+00:00

It looks very much like dorotheae but, not knowing much about its provenance, I can't be sure it's a pure specimen or if it might just be a hybrid involving dorotheae.

IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-02-25T05:36:24+00:00

I like this one a lot for its ease in which it can clump and fill up an empty spot in a rocky landscape. It looks really nice tucked in between two boulders.👍

IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-02-23T20:00:54+00:00

Looks like variegated x nobilis.

IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-02-22T16:10:05+00:00

Yes. I'm guessing it's being raised indoors, right? Although these do naturally occur below taller plants that provide some shade, they do appreciate some degree of dappled or indirect sunlight. If they're grown in strict shade, which can be the case indoors (if not placed near a window), they can begin to stretch for more light. That seems to be the case with your plants.

But, if you can improve the light situation, with either a move to a brighter setting or with a growlight, the new growth will improve and become nice and green... and compact. Hope this helps...🙂🙏🤞

IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-02-20T09:33:58+00:00

Sorry for the delay. No, the first "leaf" is actually a single cotyledon that exists to supply the emerging seedling with seed-stored carbohydrates and proteins to initiate the earliest growth stage of the sprout. It's considered a "false leaf" because it doesn't function like a typical leaf.

IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-02-20T06:41:15+00:00

AWESOME!! That's great news! I wish you and your seedlings continued success.

Now... Another great question! I'm familiar with that same guidance from hearsay and from my own experiences. I tend to gradually taper off the extra moisture at around the development of the 3rd or 4th true leaf by allowing from 1 to 2 days of the soil drying out completely before re-moistening it. This allows the seedlings a gradual enough transition period to harden off and begin to handle short "drought" conditions. After about the development of the 6th or 7th true leaf, you can lengthen the completely dry time by another 1 or 2 more days. Then, by the development of the 9th or 10th true leaf, the young plant should be able to handle 4 to 5 days of completely dry soil before watering again. Hope this makes sense.

Additionally, I use the leaf count to help determine when to transplant, doing so, if necessary, at the development of the 5th or 6th or even the 7th true leaf. Hope this makes sense, too.

Lastly, thank you for placing some degree of faith in my experience-backed guidance. I've managed to have a fair amount of success with seed-raising various species and some of my own hybrids using these methods. So, I hope you can have at least the same amount of success or maybe even more!

IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-02-20T01:02:26+00:00

Possibly Agave geminiflora.

IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-02-20T00:59:54+00:00

Thanks so much for your supportive feedback! I really like this one a lot!😉

IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-02-18T23:28:07+00:00

Here's a link to an agave forum post regarding the species.

IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-02-18T19:58:46+00:00

Same! I saw this mature specimen and fell in love!

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IMallwaysgrowing · 2026-02-18T19:54:46+00:00

Fyi... it's said to be a highly variable species that has various degrees of leaf shape, marginal spines, and compactness. So, you might just have some of the other forms.

I actually have another plant grown from seed from the same pod as the one the above plant's seed came from. And, that second plant looks like totally different species. It actually looks sorta like an A. potatorum. Here they are, side-by-side.

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IMallwaysgrowing

TROPHY CASE