Henequen
Agave fourcroydes
Family: Asparagaceae
What it is like
Agave fourcroydes is an evergreen Perennial growing to 1.8 m (6ft) by 1.8 m (6ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. 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 or moist soil and can tolerate drought.
Height (m): 1.8
Where it is found
Not known
C. America - Guatemala to southern Mexico.
Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Australia, Central America, Costa Rica, Cuba, Guatemala, Hispaniola, Italy, Lesser Antilles, Mexico, North America
How it is used
Food
Rating: 0
Medicine
Rating: 1
The plant is used for medicinal purposes.
Other
Rating: 3
Agroforestry Uses: The plants are cultivated as hedges and living fences in Cuba. Other Uses A fibre is obtained from the leaves. Coarser than the fibres from sisal (Agave sisalana), they are used for the production of ropes, nets, floor-covering and harvest binding strings. The roots contain saponins and can be used as a soap substitute.
Agroforestry Services: Living fence: Simply managed rows of shrubs and trees.
Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!
Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.
Agroforestry Services: Living fence: Simply managed rows of shrubs and trees.
Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!
Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.
Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.
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
A plant of the drier tropics. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 15 - 30c, but can tolerate 10 - 40c. It can be damaged by temperatures of -5c or lower. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 900 - 1,250mm, but tolerates 700 - 2,500mm. Requires a sunny position in a well-drained soil. Prefers a pH in the range 6.5 - 7.5, tolerating 6 - 8. It require 4 - 6 years to first harvest, and the leaves can subsequently be harvested twice a year. 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. In Mexico the plant has a life cycle of 15 - 30 years. This species is a sterile hybrid taxon.
Propagating it: One source suggests Agave fourcroydes is like sisal, a sterile hybrid; the ovaries never produce seeds. The plant does produce bulbils that may be planted, but commercial growers prefer to use the frequent suckers, which develop more quickly.
Best place to grow:
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 10-12
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry, moist
Things to keep in mind
Its other names
Local names
Synonyms
Agave rigida elongata Baker Agave sullivanii Trel.