Blue Agave, Mescal, Tequila.
Agave tequilana

Family: Asparagaceae

What it is like

A fleshy succulent to 2m that is grown commercially in Mexico as the base ingredient for tequila.

Agave tequilana is an evergreen Perennial growing to 2 m (6ft) by 2 m (6ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. The flowers are pollinated by Bats. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry soil and can tolerate drought.

Height (m): 2

Where it is found

Native to the arid highlands of Mexico. Prefers sandy soils in arid and semi-arid subtropical areas.

C. America to southern N. America - Mexico.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Central America, Mexico, North America

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

The sap of the plant is concentrated to make a sugar-rich syrup known as 'Agave syrup' or 'Agave nectar'. The sugar-rich sap is extracted from the roasted bases of the defoliated flowering stems of the plants shortly before flowering, and is then fermented and distilled into mescal and tequila. Tequila is a distilled alcoholic beverage similar to mezcal, but only made in a small region of Mexico and only from a limited number of species. Mature plants are harvested from the wild, their leaves and roots are removed and the remaining 'hearts' are baked (often in an earth oven), then mashed and the resulting liquid allowed to ferment for a few days before being distilled to produce tequila.

Sap: usually of trees and usually but not always used as a drink.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 3

A fibre is obtained from the leaves. Known as 'Jarsia', the fibres are soft enough to be used for yarn production. The squeezed shoot axes are used to stabilize loam-bricks. Recently, blue agave has also been suggested as a potential source of ethanol (biofuel).

Agroforestry Services: Living fence: Simply managed rows of shrubs and trees.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

Staple Crop: Basic Starch: The Carbon Farming Solution. Eric Toensmeier.

Staple Crop: Sugar: Perennial sugar crops include sugarcane and compare favorably to annuals.

Agroforestry Services: Living fence: Simply managed rows of shrubs and trees.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

Staple Crop: Basic Starch: The Carbon Farming Solution. Eric Toensmeier.

Staple Crop: Sugar: Perennial sugar crops include sugarcane and compare favorably to annuals.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

How it is grown

Requires a sunny position. Requires a well-drained soil. Succeeds in poor soils. Established plants are very drought tolerant. The plant favours altitudes of more than 1,500 metres (5,000 ft) and grows in rich and sandy soils. A monocarpic species - the plant lives for a number of years without flowering but dies once it does flower. However, it normally produces plenty of suckers during its life and these continue growing, taking about 10 - 15 years in a warm climate, considerably longer in colder ones, before flowering. The cultivar 'Azul', or blue agave, is preferred for tequila production. Specimens have been recorded living up to 50 years in gardens. Blue agaves sprout a stalk (quiote) when about five years old that can grow an additional 5 metres (16ft); they are topped with yellow flowers. The stalk is cut off from commercial plants so the plant will put more energy into the heart.

Propagating it: Seed - surface sow in a container in a light position. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 20°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots of well-drained soil when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a sunny position until they are at least 20cm tall.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry

Things to keep in mind

Many Agave species have strong, sharp spines on the leaves and leaf tips. In theory, at least, the flowers, nectar, immature flowering stem and the centre of the rosette of all Agave species are edible and, with proper preparation, can provide a sweet, tasty foodstuff. Some species, however, contain relatively high levels of saponins (which makes them taste bitter) and some other compounds which can cause bellyache, and so these would only be eaten in times of desperation. In addition, many people may find these foods to be strongly laxative the first few times they eat them.

some closely related species are invasive. For this reason, blue agave has been identified as a weed, though a relatively low risk one.

Its other names

Local names

Blue agave, Chino azul

Synonyms

Agave angustifolia tequilana (F.A.C.Weber) Valenz.-Zap. & Nabhan Agave palmaris Trel. Agave pedrosana Trel. Agave pes-mulae Trel. Agave pseudotequilana Trel.