Agave Montana: The Best Agave for UK Exotic Gardens

[@iviewforfun]

Great vid George when will we see you on TV? Your easily better than Monty and more in tune with what is actually going on in UK gardens.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks haha! I appreciate it, get your letter in to the BBC 😂 I’ve got a lot of respect for Monty to be fair but I can see why a lot of people perhaps don’t feel he represents them or their gardening interests. I guess they have to make a program that caters for a lot of different gardening interests and the reality is more people are into growing veg and planting up containers. It would be great to see more tropical / exotic stuff on there, it’s definitely a rapidly growing area of gardening but I’ll keep doing my own thing!

[@B4dlands]

So Agave Montana is now on my to-buy list - thanks George!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Awesome, when they get big they are the most unreal looking plants!

[@Ben-fb1ve]

Thanks for the video George. Would be great to see some more agave content for other agave that get to a decent size and grow well in our Uk climate

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Ben and thanks for watching. I'll do more as my smaller plants size up for sure! I think the top three would be montana, ovatifolia & parryi (a bit smaller) for most of the UK, in sheltered areas I'm sure the list could be expanded...

[@flamingmonkey]

Another great video George, we don’t have any Agave in our Tropical Garden but you’ve inspired me to buy the Montana, I hadn’t realised the growth rate was so impressive

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Nice one Niall, I think they thrive with our extra summer moisture. They almost look fake when they’re big, very cool looking plants!

[@vincenzecalzone8666]

Great video George. I'll be planting out my Montana in my new raised bed soon. I can see your point re leaving enough space. Growth rate is class. My agave mediopicta and variagata have done great under cover up in the coastal north. No damage at all. Cheers for the great info👍

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Nice one thanks, I’m looking forward to seeing pics of it all planted out! Very interesting to know about the Mediopicta, I might give mine a try out, I hadn’t really considered it! Thanks for the idea...

[@starr1997]

I use to see these plants growing up in spain, didn't think some can live over in the uk!🪴

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Nice one! Some can indeed - I won't say they enjoy our wet and cool climate especially but there's plenty of amazing examples on the south coast especially!

[@annasutton8078]

Hey, reminds me when I lived in Spain. These grow to a monster size there, very spiky as I remember. Not allowed these in my new garden as hubby hates them.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

I bet they do, some get HUGE! I can completely understand not wanting them in the garden but I guess there are other plants with maybe a similar look but not quite as vicious!

[@henrywaterhouse6291]

Try agave franzosinii, uncovered all the time, survived 2010. Virtually the bluest agave you can grow in the north of England unprotected.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

That would have been my hypothetical number 3 but I haven’t tried it myself. It’s incredible how tough some of these plants are really!

[@henrywaterhouse6291]

Agave bracteosa performs well and lophantha. The key to alot of it is frost drains.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@henrywaterhouse6291 Definitely, I agree! I wanted to focus on Montana as probably the easiest choice but with careful planning and planting then, yes, there’s a good few different varieties that can handle cold well, I’ll certainly be trying a few more experimental plants out here!

[@harrietbartley4171]

Great video, very inspiring!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks Harriet 😃

[@MrBaconwhopper]

I'm currently growing Agave Gentryi. They are in the same league regarding hardiness

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Nice one thanks, I’ve heard good reports on them - do they handle winter wet well or is a cover pretty much essential?

[@MrBaconwhopper]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden I haven't tried yet because they are just tiny seedlings right now so I want them to grow more before I plant them out but I think wet winters will be hard for these as well. Dutch and UK weather is pretty much the same. Rain goes on for ages here. I'm also going to plant them on a raised bed like you suggested and I'm considering putting one of those miniature greenhouse tents over them in the winter against the rain and make sure it's ventilated well.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@MrBaconwhopper That sounds like a perfect plan, I hope they grow well for you! The rain is getting a bit annoying now!

[@filiplofstrom8076]

How about A. Havardiana or A. Uthanensis? They are supposedly very hardy.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Parryi is supposed to be very tough too but as I understand it’s Montana’s greater tolerance to dampness and humidity which really aids it in our U.K. winters.

[@davecarden765]

How difficult are these to grow from seed George ? Can you give me any tips on germination at all . Fancy giving it a go .

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

They’re not tricky at all Dave, I’ve got some on the go at the minute. I just surface sowed them to a gritty well drained mix, some vermiculite on top then kept them somewhere bright and watered occasionally. They’ll take a while to get going but they speed up over the years!

[@tommiegeudens7277]

Overall, would you say that it's doable growing A. montana, A. Ovatifolia or some other moisture/cold resistant agaves unprotected in climates similar to the UK? I'm planning to get some here in Holland and wasn't planning on protecting them or ammending the soil. I grow on regular black sand here. Not very coarse or gritty. I know that rock gardens, covers and raised beds increase my options, but for now I'm only going for a few adaptable low maintenance species. I don't mind If some older leaves get some damage though.

[@tommiegeudens7277]

Is A. parryi also a good option by the way?

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi and apologies for the delayed reply. I'll actually have a video coming up in the next couple of weeks looking at how mine have done this winter largely without any protection ( a similar philosophy to you) but to summarise: A. ovatifolia, one pristine, one dead. A. montana, one with damage, 4 others fine, A. parryi, both alive but with some damage to leaves. So they're probably the best sorts to try but even with a well draining soil and raised up they're still vulnerable to damage in a chilly, wet winter without overhead protection and unfortunately the damage might not be limited to the older leaves. I'd certainly experiment but it would be a good idea to choose naturally sheltered spots and make some soil amendments for a better chance.

[@tommiegeudens7277]

With agaves there is lots of variety regarding hardiness within one species. Maybe thats why one of the ovatifolias is looking unfazed, and the orher death. I don't know if one of the two was a younger or unsettled plant with worse drainage. From what I've read so far the best moisture tolerant cold hardy agaves are bracteosa, neomexicana and ovatifolia. Others that I got recommended are lopantha and parrasana. Parryi has a lot of different varieties and therefore also a lot of variation within one variety. The best ones to pick are JC Raulston, parryi couesii and parryi huachucensis. The other parryis may be hardier, but less moisture tolerant. Montana is apparently moisture tolerant but not very coldhardy. Perhaps the best agave for the UK or other West European countries would be a hybrid between one all those.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks and I believe you're right on the individual variation even when in theory both plants are in largely similar conditions. I might have to give bracteosa and neomexicana a go or really double down on the montana here, thanks for your thoughts and recommendations. I think the montanas have still proven to be the most consistently healthy survivors here but with further experimentation I'll definitely continue to focus on moisture tolerance rather than absolute dry cold tolerance which may be more of a factor in the US.

[@davidantill6949]

Interesting videos indeed. I am slowly going for a blend of Japanese maples and pines (later to be niwaki styled) with some of the larger leafed ground cover plants and palms. I happen to love Japanese maples and palms. I was afraid that the style might clash but having watched more and more videos on Japanese planting I see that the blend is not rare. I have Basjoo too. The next must get plant for me is Schleffera taiwaniana. I think I saw one in your garden. How does it do and where did you buy it? I understand that cuttings of it are not too difficult. I also have a penchant for variegated, often Japanese bred, agave.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Thanks David! The styles definitely don’t clash in my eyes and I’ve got lots of small Japanese maples planted out. Trachycarpus Wagnerianus definitely shares the same Japanese vibe that bamboos and and styled pines do. The maples’ small leaves work well with the larger tropical plants and their Autumn colours add another dimension to the garden. I’ve got quite a few Schefflera Taiwanianas, I’m a fan! They’re fast growing and tougher than they look! I got some of mine from Pan Global Plants. Some of the smaller variegated Agaves are nice, especially in the right pots!

[@davidantill6949]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden Thanks for the reply George 😀

[@davidantill6949]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden Oops, Schefflera not Schleffera. I always get that wrong 😂

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@davidantill6949 Easy done, it’s not the simplest of words! 😂

[@garethvanderwesthuyzen6420]

Completely unrelated question, I do apologise, but my Phoenix palm just isn't surviving up here in Newcastle upon Tyne. I recently saw your video about the hybrid Jubutia, but haven't found one for sale in the UK. Can you remember where you got yours? Cheers!

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Hi Gareth, no need to apologise! Unfortunately they’re not a plant that’s readily available currently. I got mine from the Tropical Plant Company but I’m not sure if Ben is operating this year and it was from a limited batch of plants. If I see any I’ll leave you a comment though! I’m in the same situation with my Phoenix at the minute and can’t decide whether to plant it out but up in Newcastle it would take a very sheltered spot to give them a decent chance for sure.

[@garethvanderwesthuyzen6420]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden there are some really wonderful examples of phoenix near to where I live, but my garden just doesn't seem to be the place. Wrapped mine this winter, and when I removed the fleece it looked perfect, but as the weather has been warming its rapidly turned brown. We have two trachycarpus but my wife really wants a feather palm as our third specimen.

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@garethvanderwesthuyzen6420 Could it be that you had it wrapped up for too long? Or did you just wrap it up for the February cold spell? Jubaea is really hardy but slow, Butia might be a step up from the Phoenix?

[@garethvanderwesthuyzen6420]

@@GeorgesJungleGarden I think it was. November to February it was wrapped 😕

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

@@garethvanderwesthuyzen6420 The damage could be from it being wrapped up for too long a duration, it’s important to only wrap them when you need it really and vent them when you can. I wouldn’t give up hope though, it may come back when it warms up 👍

[@tomaszwoznica6647]

Szkoda że napisów nie ma .

[@GeorgesJungleGarden]

Przepraszam, robię co mogę z czasem, który mam. Mam nadzieję, że to ma sens!