Collection: Agave ovatifolia

Agave ovatifolia is also called 'Whale's Tongue' as a result of the short, wide, distinctively cupped leaf blade and groove on the upper surface of the blade.
The local people call this agave 'noga' and harvest its massive flowers because it's an ideal cattle food.
Agave ovatifolia belongs to the Parryanae group and is closely related to A. havardiana and A. parrasana, and just like A. havardiana it has proven to be one of the best agaves for cold, wet climates, more successfully than almost all other species.

Agave ovatifolia is solitary growing and makes no offsets; after many years it will flower and die.
It grows a hemispherical rosette, which will reach in nature about 80 cm tall and 120 cm wide, but in cultivation plants are known that reached a length of 150 cm and became 200 cm wide.
The silver-blue to greyish-blue leaves are short and broad and distinctively cupped.
The leaves are ovate to ovate-elliptic and around 35-45 cm long and 20-25 cm wide, but in cultivation a single leave grows up to 60 cm length and 30 cm wide, with the widest part in the middle.
The marginal teeth along the leaves are small and in general curved towards the base, the leaf ends in a 1-2 cm long dark spine.

As most agaves they tolerate most soil types as long as drainage is good, the growth rate is moderate and plants grow best when given ample water and fertilizer.