OK... the weather nightmare has passed. Nine days of arctic snow cover are finally over. A few days of 46 degree rains and southerly breezes have melted all the snow and ice and I can now take a serious look at the conditions of my poor Agaves.
Agave Parryi var Truncata
This one I regret putting outside like this. I knew it to be less hardy than the others. However, it is just so beautiful I had to try it. It lived last winter in a pot in a cold frame and was very happy. I should have put it back in there this year. It doesn't look half bad in this picture but a close visual and manual inspection reveals that virtually all the leaves are totally soft and mushy. Those leaves are history. However, the central cone and the immediately surrounding leaves appear solid and in good condition. Its two pups also appear to be OK. I am optimistic that with some serious amputations this plant could make a recovery next Spring. Perhaps
too optimistic? If any more serious weather comes along I will put up some protection for this guy and just assume he is
not suitably self sufficient in this climate. This guy makes a superb container specimen. Lesson learned.
Agave Ovatifolia 'Frosty Blue'
This guy is in about the same condition as the Truncata above. Almost all the leaves outside the central cone are mush and have been for some time. I don't really know what to think about this. I know other people have had outdoor success with this one. Was my failure an anomoly? Was this weather spell an anomoly? I haven't decided if I should try this one again or not. I know some other growers of this plant and I will see how they fared before writing this guy off. Again, the central core appears intact but there is so much dead tissue I doubt I will even consider any rescue attempts.
Agave Parryi 'JC Raulston'
This one looks pretty good, wouldn't you say. I cannot find a single thing wrong with it.
All of its leaves feel solid and alive, and the cone feels as solid as a rock. I have great confidence that this guy will make it through this winter and others to come. Might I hope to see it flower one day? I had heard great things about this one's moisture tolerance. And although its cold hardiness is not the best of the Parryis, it is more than adequate. I am very encouraged by this although I can still hear my grandmother telling me not to count my chickens before they hatch. I realize I am far from the finish line and it's quite possible this guy has internal damage in its core. At the same time I'm dreaming of an entire garden bed filled with these as though I was living in Phoenix.
