LOTS OF LITTLE PUPPIES

It seems I have the kind of Queen Victoria agave, Agave Victoriae-Reginae that offsets. To begin with I was a little disappointed with this plant because it doesn't have than nice ball shape that you see in a perfect specimen. Those are tens of babies clustered around the base.

This is an example of a non offsetting variety in a neighbors garden.

Mine has been in that spot for years and has hardly grown. They are noted for their slow growth but at the same time maybe all those offspring are holding it back. The time had come to remove some of the offsets. There was one really big one behind the bunny ears cactus, Opuntia microdasys, but it wasn't coming out without a tussle and I was really afraid of damaging the mother plant. But I did manage to pull at least 10 and there are more to come. One came out with a decent root but they were all still attached to the parent plant so I need to let them callous for a few days before potting them up.

So here they are all potted up and in the greenhouse for the winter to give them a better chance.

I planted one in the ground in the front courtyard in the new area alongside the garage. It is below the Candelilla, Euphorbia antisyphilitica.

It does look a little forlorn for now.

Both these plants are hardy for my area and will be quite carefree.

On the subject of pups. I have one Moby's offspring. If you follow Pam Penick's blog you will know about the magnificent flowering spectacle of Moby, Agave ovatifolia,  followed by hundred of offsets. It's no bigger than the Agave Victoriae Reginae but should outstrip it in growth in one or two years. For now, it too is in a pot in the greenhouse.

Agave ovatifolia, Whales' Tongue

And how about this agave? We aren't sure what it is but possibly Agave parryi as there were a number of pups with it. Apparently gardeners in Arizona can have too much of this good thing and my son is the lucky recipient.