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Agave utahensis

Agave utahensis Engelm.

Utah Agave

Agavaceae (Century-Plant Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: AGUT

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

Tall, narrow spikes of yellow flowers arise from basal leaves.
Leaves: blades 14" long, narrow; with terminal spine, lateral prickles; form rosettes.

Utilized for food and as source of the beverage mescal by Native Americans.

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Subshrub
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Rosette of leaves up to about 2 feet tall. Flower scape up to about 15 feet tall.
Leaf: Dark Green

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Feb , Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , NV , UT
Native Distribution: California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah.
Native Habitat: Canyons, rocky slopes (generally limestone) in mixed shrub to pinyon-juniper communities.

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
CaCO3 Tolerance: High

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)

Mojave Giant-Skipper
(Agathymus alliae)

Larval Host

Learn more at BAMONA

Find Seed or Plants

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA

Bibliography

Bibref 1186 - Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America (2005) Covell, C.V., Jr.
Bibref 1185 - Field Guide to Western Butterflies (Peterson Field Guides) (1999) Opler, P.A. and A.B. Wright

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Agave utahensis in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Agave utahensis in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Agave utahensis

Metadata

Record Modified: 2022-11-01
Research By: TWC Staff

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