Agave attenuata

Native to central Mexico, this evergreen succulent subshrub forms clumps of rosettes on short, thick stems. Unlike many agaves, its flexible leaves lack sharp edge teeth and a terminal spine. A mature rosette produces an arching flower spike about 6.5 to 11.5 feet long, densely covered with greenish-yellow flowers, giving the plant its foxtail or swan’s-neck common names. The flowering rosette dies, but basal offsets continue growing and can be separated for propagation. It has naturalized in Madeira, the Canary Islands, Sicily, Libya, and parts of Australia. Its sap can irritate skin. Photographed in Colombia.