Description

Agave angustifolia (also referred to as the “Caribbean agave”) is a type of Agave plant which is native to Mexico and Central America.

Growth habit of Agave angustifolia

This species is a short-stemmed or stemless evergreen succulent plant which starts off with a small rosette of leaves but if given space they can can reach 100 – 200cm tall and 150 – 200cm in diameter.

This species is prized for its ornamental appearance and tidy growth habit (straight compact leaf growth).

Around 35 – 65 leaves can be produced on mature plants, each of which can be 60 – 90 cm long and 4 – 10 cm wide near the base of the plant.

There is a cultivar with variegated leaves which is named Agave angustifolia ‘Marginata’.

Flowering of Agave angustifolia

After several years of vegetative growth, Agave angustifolia will send up a flowering stem that can reach heights of 2.5 – 5 metres tall.

The flowers will produce seeds, but fascinatingly they also produce “bulbils” which are baby plant pups which begin their growth at the top of the tall flower stem and then fall down to the ground to grow when they are ready.

As an added insurance policy the plants usually produce a number of young plants around their base during the course of their life and these will develop into the new generation of plants.

Usually after the plant has flowered the rosette will begin to lose its vigour and eventually die.

Uses of Agave angustifolia

There are many other uses of the Agave angustifolia plant. For example the plants can be used for food, fibre for ropes, construction material, fuel, beverages, traditional medicines and even for making kitchen utensils (the leaf bases are used to make kitchen brushes).

Mezcal made from Agaves

This is one the most preferred and sought-after species in the Agave genus for the use in producing the drink ‘mezcal’. Mezcal which is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage (spirit) that is very popular in Mexico, South America, and is also exported around the world.

Tequila is a type of mezcal, but not all mezcal is tequila. Mezcal can be made from 50 different varieties of Agave, but only one type of agave plant (blue agave) can be used to make the true “tequila”.

Agave angustifolia as food and medicine

Indigenous peoples of South America cherished the edible flowers, nectar, immature flowering stem and centre of the rosette of Agave species and hence used them as a food source at different times. With proper preparation the correct parts of the plant can provide a sweet and pleasant foodstuff.

Flower buds and flowers are said to be boiled and eaten like squash. The tender young flowering stems can also be chopped up and slow-baked to bring out a sweet flavour. The heart of the plant, with the leaves trimmed off, is slow-baked to convert much of the carbohydrates into sugars. It can then be eaten, or used to make mezcal. The white parts of the leaves at their base are slow-baked. The resulting food can be sweet but very fibrous; hence traditionally it is chewed to extract the sweetness and then the fibrous portion is spat out and discarded.

The sap can be processed and concentrated into a sweet syrup referred to as “Agave Nectar” or “Agave Syrup”.

Traditionally, the juice of the cooked leaves and stems, as well as a root infusion, where taken internally or used as poultices for both internal and external swelling, bruises, liver and kidney diseases, arthritis, and dysentery. The roots are diaphoretic and diuretic.

It must be warned however, that some Agave species contain relatively high levels of saponins (compounds which give them a bitter taste). Sufficient of such compounds can cause bellyache, and so these would only be eaten in times of desperation. In addition, many people may find these foods to be strongly purgative/laxative the first few times they eat them.

The roots contain higher amounts of these saponins and can hence be used as a soap substitute.

Fibre from Agave angustifolia

A very strong fibre from the leaves is used to manufacture rope. It is prepared by boiling the leaves for six hours after which they are then placed through the rollers and scraped to isolate the fibres. The fibre sourced from Agave angustifolia is called “ixtle” and can be used to produce ropes and strings, doormats, carry bags, and other durable fabrics.

The leaves can also be effectively used for thatching.

Be careful when working with Agaves, especially mature plants, as they possess strong and sharp spines on the leaf tips and margins.

Where does Agave angustifolia grow?

Agave angustifolia can grow in many different vegetation times often on brushy rocky slopes, dry thickets, on roadsides, and often planted in hedges as a living fence to protect the perimeter of a property or for ornamental appeal.

These plants can be found in several vegetation types from mountainous forests to coastal dunes at sea level.

Agave angustifolia is a very versatile plant and can inhabit many different environments; hence its distribution range in its native habitat (north of Mexico to Costa Rica and Panama).

This plant displays the ability to grow in both very dry and wet climates with tropical influence. The species occupies arid areas (such as the Sonoran Desert) which receive an average annual precipitation of 250mm, and yet the plants can also be found in areas with an average annual rainfall of 1,680mm.

Plants are more likely to survive frost in areas which are dry.

This plant succeeds in poor soils, however it will prefer a sunny position with soil that is well-draining.

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