Butterfly agave
Agave potatorum

Family: Asparagaceae

What it is like

An agave. A small succulent plant. It has a short stem and can occur singly or in a clump. The leaves are succulent and in a ring. There are 30-80 leaves. They become narrow towards the base. They are curved towards the tip and are blue-green. There are spines long the edge. There is a spine at the tip. The flowering shoots are 3-6 m tall and the flowers are light green tinged with red. They have red bracts around them.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It grows in semi-arid regions between 1,200-2,250 m above sea level. It grows in areas with an areas with an annual mean temperature of 18°C. The average annual rainfall is 655 mm.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Indonesia, Mexico (country/location of origin), North America, SE Asia

How it is used for food

The bud is used to make a drink. The stems are baked and eaten. The flower buds are boiled or roasted and cooked with egg or hot chilli sauce. The leaf bases are baked and eaten as candy.

Edible parts

Base - drink, stems, leaves, flowers

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds or suckers.

Its other names

Local names

Agave kupu-kupu, Maguey papalome

Synonyms

Agave amoena Lem. ex Jacobi; and others