Unless you are growing it outside in the yard, I wouldn't worry too much about it getting that big, either. They need a lot of space, time and a lot of sun to get that large.
To my experience, whether or not they have the bud imprint is about 50/50 - some species do, some don't. They are very lovely, aren't they?
My own personal favorite is the A. macroacantha, a smaller, silvery agave with black spines. I just got some of these from a sale at one of the local high schools, what a find. I'm wondering if it's too late in the year to plant them out - I know they prefer warm soils....
