Agave isthmensis Chiapas type locality form

In the southern Mexican states of Oaxaca and Chiapas grows the dwarf clustering Agave isthmensis. Agave isthmensis derives its name from its native range in the region of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. The plants at the type locality in Chiapas grow at 2700', and highly resemble the popular cultivar Agave ‘Kichijokan’. It may be that this population is where that mystery cultivar originated. Agave isthmensis had been treated as a form of Agave potatorum until 1992, when Abasaí García-Mendoza and Felipe Palma Cruz elevated it to full species status based on smaller size and smaller flowers. One other aspect of Agave isthmensis is that many of these plants produce offsets, while it is highly unusual for A. potatorum to offset.  Also, because of its small size, this species is an excellent candidate for pots. Plants are currently in 5" and will be shipped bare root.