Agave potatorum "Cherry Swizzle" - 3ga

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Agave potatorum ‘Cherry Swizzle’ is a compact, solitary agave selection from the highlands of Oaxaca and southern Puebla, Mexico, grown for its controlled size, symmetrical rosette, and colored spines. It typically forms an open rosette 1 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, with broad gray leaves that measure roughly 10 to 18 inches long and curve slightly back near the tips. The leaf margins are subtly cupped and lined with short red to chestnut-brown teeth set on small raised nodes, while the terminal spine is about an inch long, red, and often gently wavy, giving the plant a distinctive outline. Growth is slow and deliberate, and plants usually remain solitary with little inclination to offset. Like other agaves, it is monocarpic, flowering once at maturity, often after a decade or more, when a tall stalk 10 to 20 feet high bears pale green flowers flushed with red before the rosette declines. The species name potatorum reflects its long cultural association with traditional fermented drinks, and ‘Cherry Swizzle’ was selected from a superior plant grown by Jim Prine in Santa Barbara and later propagated for uniformity. It performs best in full sun with very well-drained soil, requires little water once established, and tolerates brief cold to about 25–30°F. In the garden, it is well suited to containers, rock gardens, and dry landscapes where a moderate-sized agave with clean form and colored spines is desired.