Fam. Agavaceae
Species: Agave americana L.
Common name: Agave americana,
Deutsch: Amerikanische Agave
English: Century plant, Maguey, American aloe
Etymology: The term derives from the Greek "agavos" = magnificent, admirable, probably linked to the appearance of the plant in the flowering phase.
Description: it is a succulent plant, up to 8 meters tall and now present in the wild in almost all regions of the Italian peninsula. It has a thickened woody rhizome. The scape (the flowering axis without leaves, elongated and bearing a flower or an inflorescence at the apex) is erect, up to 10 cm thick, with hardened scales. The evergreen leaves grow in dense basal rosettes, rigid sword-shaped, linear, bluish-green in color, with 1 cm thorns on the edge and a long apical thorn of about 3 cm. It has a large panicle inflorescence, 2-5 m long, containing yellow, tubular flowers. The fruit is a 4-5 cm capsule that, when ripe, opens to reveal shiny, black, crescent-shaped seeds. It is a very long-lived plant, which grows for 10-15 years; then, it flowers only once and then dies, leaving many basal shoots from which new plants can originate. Pollination occurs thanks to pollinating insects.
Habitat: It is native to N-Americ. - North America.
Notes and Curiosities: Native to North America, probably Mexico, it is a plant introduced to Italy in the 16th century for ornamental purposes and subsequently throughout the Mediterranean basin.
In cooking, agave syrup, rich in fructose, is used as a sweetener. The heart of the plant with a sweetish flavor is consumed as a vegetable. In medicine it is a plant used as a laxative and purgative, against skin infections and boils. The fresh sap can cause skin irritation and dermatitis. Furthermore, the agave was used to make vegetable soap and its fibers to sew and weave ropes, strings and mats. It is a succulent plant that grows with a strong and primordial energy; in fact, a drink with an inebriating fire is obtained from it, pulque, dating back to pre-Columbian times, which is obtained by fermenting its short stem, cut before it sprouts.
Perhaps because of its imposing appearance in the language of flowers it symbolizes Security.
In one of the flowerbeds of the Heller garden, directly illuminated by the sun's rays, the wavy leaves, similar to large tentacles, of the American Agave create an interesting scenic effect that strikes the spectator. In fact, the clearly geometric shape and sculptural appearance of the plant produce an interesting trait union between its square lines and the soft cascade of red tubular flowers belonging to the majestic evergreen Russelia shrub that acts as its background.