"Florida's Wild Things"

  
This picture of Elizabeth VanderPutten standing in front of two ornamental Agaves Americana or century plants beside the Atlantic Ocean was taken in Indiatlantic near Melbourne Beach, Fl. Photo by Brian J. Larkin. February 8, 2001.
Photo by Brian J. Larkin. February, 2001

Giant Agave Americana

Anne F. Bellenger, a retired Everglades biologist, identified these almost 6-foot tall plants we found on Hutchinson Island as Agave. Agave expert John Dicus further identifies it as Agave Americana, a designation with which British Agave authority Jan Kolendo agreed..

I've seen many Agaves in the Southwest and Mexico and while there are many similarities there are pronounced differences. The Agaves in Sedona have leaves that are perhaps a foot long and thinner and of a deeper green than these. These are monsters! Anne quipped that a row or two of these around a house would make a heck of a barrier!