Agave avellanidens

This agave shares a general appearance with Agave shawii ssp. goldmaniana, with which it shares an overlapping range in north/central Baja. It is an attractive and desert-hardy plant but is not frequently available in cultivation. These plants were photographed in the Cataviña desert, and the third pic exhibits an atypical monstrose form, also occasionally seen in A. shawii. The second photo shows it in peak habitat flower. One way to differentiate this plant from the aforementioned A. shawii ssp. goldmaniana is via the paniculate inflorescence - much more 'airy' in this case. Compared to both A. shawii & A. shawii ssp. goldmaniana’s more dense bloom. Without inflorescence, A. avellanidens & A. shawii v. goldmaniana are very difficult to tell apart. Plants are currently in 5” pots and will be shipped bare root & the seed was collected by my friend Brian Oveson.