Agave is a genus of monocots. The plants are perennial, but each rosette flowers once and then dies . Some species are known by the name century plant. Traditionally, it was circumscribed to be composed of about 166 species, but it is now usually understood to have about 208 species.

Agave attenuata is a species of agave sometimes known as the “lion’s tail,” “swan’s neck,” or “foxtail” for its development of a curved stem, unusual among agaves. Native to the plateau of the State of Jalisco in central Mexico, as one of the unarmed agaves, it is popular as an ornamental plant in gardens in many other places. It is reportedly naturalized in Madeira and Libya. The stems typically range from 50 to 150 cm (2060 in) in length, and eventually old leaves fall off, leaving them visible. The leaves are ovate-accuminate, 5070 cm (2028 in) long and 1216 cm (56 in) wide, pale in colour, ranging from a light grey to a light yellowish green. There are no teeth, nor terminal spines, although the leaves taper to points that fray with age. The inflorescence is a dense raceme 2.5 to 3 meters (8 to 10 ft) high, with greenish-yellow flowers.

USDA Zone – 10

Season to sow – Spring