Agave pumila cv. NANA

A 10 years old specimen. It stays small and compact for many years and rarely suckers.

Description: This is a very compact form of the smallest Agave (Dwarf Century Plant ) beautiful but rare to find. Usually they stay as small as less than 12 cm tall and wide as a  container grown specimens, however if planted out, in appropriate climes they get somewhat larger, tending to look more like Agave lechuguilla.
It has been suggested that A. pumila is a hybrid from A. victoriae Reginae and Lechuguilla. Must be another cross breed then... Maybe with Victoriae Reginae "minima".

The species is described as highly dimorphic, with a compact surculose juvenile form, before making an open rosette and a non suckering mature form, a seemingly  contradictory situation. The juvenile form somewhat resembles a stubby-leaved Agave titanota, and according to the material, that form will persist under pot culture for up to 8-12 years.
 

It is thought that this plant produces only one basal shoot every five years, this  justifies its rarity and cost.
 

Cultivation: Suited for light shade to full sun, but better with some shade in  summer. Propagation exclusively by suckers  (if available) It is best to avoid freezing temperatures. The growth and multiplication is very slow and the plants produce about an offset every five years. It is easy to grow but heavy watering results in some leaf cracking.

Scientific Name:   Agave pumila De Smet ex J.G. Baker cv. "NANA"

Taxonomy: This  species is of unknown origin, with no registered type locality, and no observed inflorescence (at the time of publishing). The neotype  was a plant growing in the Huntington Botanical Garden.
 

12 years old. The  leaves are turning to the adult shape.