The Jerusalem Botanical Gardens

Common name: Octopus Agave, אגבת וילמורן, אגבת וילמור

Family: Asparagaceae (Asparagus)

Distribution: Mexico

Habitat: Volcanic cliffs and on steep, rocky slopes of ravines

Life form: Fibrous succulent

Uses: Crushed leaves were used as soap or shampoo

Etymology: Agave means noble. Vilmoriana named after Maurice de Vilmorin, French Botanist from the 19th century

In memory: of Nizza Yaffe-Ovadia, a teacher of nature and life.

Description: A large succulent with curvy arched leaves. Leaves are up to 90 cm long, 10 cm wide. The rosette spreads to 1.5-2 m. its shape is reminiscent of an octopus, hence the common name of this plant - Octopus Agave. The inflorescence stem is 3-6 m tall. The flowers are golden-yellow. This Agave is monocarpic, the plant grows as a leaf rossette for a few years and does not bloom, only in its last year it blooms, bears fruit and dies. Nevertheless new plantlets develop on the inflorescence, and they will develop into new plants around the mother-plant. It usually takes the plant 7-15 years from planting to flowering.