artichoke agave Agavaceae Agave
parryi Engelm.
symbol: AGPA4
Leaf: Evergreen, succulent, pale green to glaucous blue, forming a rosette of entire to spine-edged leaves, each leaf tipped with a long (to 1 inch) red-brown spine.
Flower: A tree-like flower stalk to 20 feet tall that is produced once, generally after the rosette reaches about 20 years old; side branches bear clusters of yellow flowers; flowering mid-summer.
Fruit: A dry leathery/woody capsule 2 inches long.
Form: An artichoke-like basal rosette growing to 2 feet tall by 3 feet wide, with occasional flowering stalks to 20 feet tall.