Agave ‘Blue Brian’

Description Family Asparagaceae. Originating from Mexico. Upright, silver-blue, chunky leaves form a compact, spiky rosette. Powdery silver-blue leaves are the main attraction until a 5m tall flower spike is produced after many years. A half-hardy succulent in southern and coastal areas. Easy to grow in well-drained soil and full sun. Blue Brian Century Plant in Your Garden Like a shark bursting through waves, gracefully upswept, silver-blue leaves take your breath away. Agave ‘Blue Brian’ forms a compact, chunky rosette, its thick succulent blades dusted with white powder and edged with shark-like teeth. A hybrid of two agave species, it adds a new shade of colour to the range of agaves in the UK. It is hardy only in the most sheltered dry spots of city, coastal, and southern UK gardens if given excellent drainage at its roots. However, this silver-blue spiky succulent makes a stunning potted specimen, relocated to a dry sheltered area for winter, after stealing the patio show all summer. Suffolk’s maritime climate gardeners can expect an exceptional flowering event after many years. A gigantic flower spike up to 5m tall is produced, bearing multitudes of light-green red-tinted flowers. Sadly, this signals the plant’s death, although pups are produced around the base of the exhausted flowering rosette. Norfolk’s Mediterranean gardens graced by this event enjoy many months of pollinator-attracting blooms. Growing Tips for Your ‘Blue Brian’ Agave Soil and Sun: Plant in well-drained, gritty soil. Full sun is key for optimal growth and blue-silver leaf colouration. Planting: Set in spring or summer. Make a free draining area of soil 50cm all around and below the rootball. Add rubble, pea-shingle, and sand leaving roughly 50% soil in the area . Water frequently whilst establishing during summer. Watering: During hot, dry water regularly for rapid growth, although it will grow steadily in drought conditions. Do not water from mid-autumn to late spring. Pruning: None needed; Use a serrated blade, such as an old bread knife, or a saw to remove occasional dead leaves at the base of the rosette. Wear stout hide gloves and eye protection. Winter Protection: As one of the less hardy agaves, we recommend winter covering in all but the most sheltered and warm microclimates. From late December to the end of April, install a simple cover preventing snow and rain falling into the crown. Taking 15 minutes to build, it consists of a single sheet of clear perspex mounted on four 5cm square posts. Many silver-blue spiky succulent plants grow in desert or high-altitude habitats. Rooting deeply in their harsh natural habitat to find water, their surface roots do not encounter soaking wet soil. Simple preparation of their planting sites in full sun, described above, makes their inclusion in UK garden planting schemes possible. Planting Ideas for Blue Brian Make a marvelous menagerie of Mangaves and Agaves. Ideal for sunny contemporary patios and Mediterranean terraces, their architectural forms make a potted show-stopping display. Manfreda and Agave hybrids Mangave ‘Silver Fox’, ‘Snow Leopard’, ‘Pineapple Express’, and ‘Lavender Lady’ add surreal spiky, yet soft foliage. Their richly coloured leaves set off the silvery foliage of Agaves ‘Mediopicta’, potatorum, ‘Cameron Blue’, and ‘Jaws’. Contrast the bold architectural form and silver-blue colour of ‘Blue Brian’ with richly coloured half-hardy perennials. Place pots of Iresine ‘Blazing Rose’, Begonia Summer Wings White, Plectranthus zuluensis, and ‘Sasha’. Drape taller planters featuring your ‘Blue Brian’ with Sedum ‘Purpureum’, Tradescantia ‘Blushing Bride’, and Lotus berthelotii.