Agave angustifolia (Caribbean Agave)

Native from Mexico through Central America to Panama, this evergreen succulent perennial forms dense colonies by producing offsets around its base. Mature plants send up a branched flowering stalk about 10 to 16 feet tall, bearing greenish-yellow flowers. Small plantlets can develop on the flowering branches, fall to the ground, and take root. The flowering rosette dies after blooming, while its offsets survive. The espadín form is widely cultivated in Mexico for mezcal production. It has naturalized in eastern Queensland and northeastern New South Wales, Australia, and is invasive in southeastern Queensland, especially along the coast. Photographed in the department of Cauca, Colombia.