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Looking very fresh in late March Synonym(s) Agave virginica Common name false aloe; Virginia agave Family asparagaceae Life cycle perennial (Z6-9) Flowers yellow-green (late summer) Size 3-6' Light sun-part shade Cultural notes ordinary garden soil (drought-tolerant) From seed Germinate at room temperature detailed seed-starting info below Tall flower spikes will supposedly rise from the flat rosettes, but that apparently takes a good number of years. The plants in the photo above are about three years old, started from seed in winter of 2018. Growing just in front of our rock garden, they are healthy and happy, but they weren't ready to throw up their flowers yet. That would finally happen two years later, after the plants had been transplanted to the new rock garden zone, with more room to spread out. Most photos of the flowers show somewhat bright greenish-yellow cylindrical structures, but ours stayed more green than yellow. They are supposed to be pollinated by sphinx moths – not sure if there are enough of those around to promote the survival of the species in our garden.

Five-year-old plant sending up its first flower stalk in early May

The flowers aren't anything to write home about

Although up close the structures are rather interesting

In our garden, this plant grows in the following area: rock garden zone

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Seed-starting details for this plant

2005. Seed from '04 trade. Baggy 70F (65%G, 10-50d)
2015. Seed from NARGS '14/'15 exchange. Baggy 70F (86%G, 7-13d)
2017. Same seed as above. Pot outside 11/10 (7 SL, 2-3w)
2018. Same seed as above. Baggy 70F (92%G, 5-16d)

Extended period of germination, but not difficult.

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