Agave victoriae-reginae (Queen Victoria Agave)

Native to northeastern Mexico, this slow-growing succulent perennial forms a dense, rounded rosette of thick green leaves. Distinctive white markings trace the leaf surfaces, while each leaf ends in a dark spine. The compact rosette may reach about 18 inches tall and wide. Mature plants eventually produce a tall, narrow flower spike that can rise about 13 to 15 feet above the foliage. Each rosette flowers only once, then dies after producing fruit. It tolerates drought. Its sap can irritate the skin. Photographed in Colombia.