PLANTS & FLOWERS & TREES I HAVE GROWN IN FLORIDA, 2025, PART 20

PLANTS PLANTS
MOVING
& PRUNING
FALSE AGAVES
14 NOVEMBER 2025

FROM GOOGLE AI: "False agave" most commonly refers to
Furcraea foetida, a succulent plant with large, sword-like leaves
that resembles true agave but lacks the sharp marginal spines.
It is a drought-tolerant plant grown for its landscape appeal,
available in green and variegated varieties,
and is used in xeriscapes, rock gardens, and as a focal point.

In 2018 or 2019, I purchased nine False Agaves.
Three were placed in the courtyard . . .
PLANTS
. . . and did quite well . . .
PLANTS
. . . as they were watered and pruned as needed . . .
PLANTS
. . . and considering they are in their original pots still.

The rest were placed in the landscaped areas
around the Toniwood Lane side of the house.
I pretty much ignored them, as they are, supposedly,
"drought-tolerant".
With all the new landscaping that has been done,
and is planned for 2026, I decided to move these to the courtyard,
where I could keep an eye on them and care for them better.
Neal cut off all the dead leaves, and I wish I'd taken pics at that time,
but I didn't think I'd be doing this webpage. Silly me!
This is what some of them looked like before I began working on them . . .
PLANTS
You can see the stubs of all the dead leaves Neal cut off.

The pots were also completely filled with ferns, which he also cut off . . .
PLANTS

So, I cut off the stubs, trimmed off the BIG bunches of roots
that had grown thru the original pot holes,
dug out all the fern roots, and the three I've done so far
now look like this . . .

PLANTS

I also had one true agave that put out a six-foot tall stalk
with ugly flowers, and died (as it was supposed to do).
I tossed it out, but saved all the babies that grew around it
and will repot those, as well as clean up the other
false agaves next week. They, and the pots, are heavy,
so I only do a few at a time.
I'm sure they will all look better by next year spring,
with constant oversight and care.

Since COVID and through today, these have not been available any longer;
don't know why not, and neither does the garden center staff,
so I'm glad I bought as many as I did at the time.
I should have taken better care of the ones that were
out of sight, out of mind. MEA CULPA.

PLANTS PLANTS PLANTS PLANTS PLANTS

PLANTS, FLOWERS & TREES
I HAVE GROWN IN FLORIDA BEGINS HERE

BIRDS, MAMMALS, REPTILES & A MARSUPIAL
I HAVE KNOWN IN FLORIDA BEGINS HERE

MY WEBSITE ABOUT HURRICANE IAN,
SEPTEMBER 2022, IS HERE