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Cacti & Succulents

Agave propagation by leaves

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

Hi All,

As an introduction I've always liked plants since I was a kid, but just recently I've got totally hooked in succulents and I can't get enough of it! :) I love it!

Ok, so I've got a problem at moment...

I have part of a very badly cut Agave pup that I brought from Portugal and I'm trying to save it.
As you can see by the picture, I've got the two leaves that got detached and its centre bud in cacti soil, but I'm not sure if they will ever root at all because everywhere I look for Agave propagation, they all say that they get propagated but pups, not by leaves as most of the other succulents.
It looks exactly the same as when I got it more than a month ago, very green and healthy looking and I still hope that the leaves or the centre bud will root, but I'm starting to doubt it.

Can someone please help me confirm if it is possible to propagate Agave from leaves, or will this be a worthless effort?

Many thanks!

Featured Answer

Laura F (z9FL)

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

I was going to start a thread on a similar situation. I have an agave that has rotted from the bottom up. Looks like the rot has stopped and all is dry now and it looks good (well, sort of OK) from the top. This is a medium sized agave and a bit of hard dead stuff I can't remove around the "soil line". I have 2 of these guys. I'm thinking just stick 'em in the potting mix and see what happens. Still I know this is different than starting from a leaf!!

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Comments (9)

cactusmcharris, interior BC Z4/5
7 years ago
No, no leaf propagation is possible.
Kara 9b SF Bay Area CA
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
The middle part you may be able to get some roots. I don't know how much is at the bottom, but if there is enough you might get lucky:)
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On the Agave forum a man says that they can be propagated by leaf, I don't believe it, I want to be shown that it can be done. (proof) It is very difficult just to let the leaves off. I propagate mine the old fashioned way, offsets! Then I do some thing that would be called murder, I quarter the plant when it is large enough to do so, and rare enough that I can't afford to get more any other way. Some people may take out the growing center to force offsets all around the cut. I have never tried this, so if your brave and have a plant that you want to try, let us all know. I have never tried a variegated plant leaf. I doubt that it would hold true, Sanseveria don't.
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hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
7 years ago
You need some stem. The stem can produce roots and a new rosette. Crassulaceae is the family of plants that will root from leaves. Agave is different family.
Paul James
6 years ago
Did you get anywhere with this, Roger? I think the answer is you'll find out for yourself.. seeing as yours is the only (positive) post I can find on the subject.

Even if the cuttings are 'Unlikely' to take, I'd still be tempted to chop some leaves into, say, 100 pieces to callous over and plant. Unlikely isn't the same as impossible. Did yours take, shrivel up or go soggy(rot)?

My Agave is large but hasn't produced pups so I have no other option.
laticauda
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
I think you could get something from the center as long as you have dormant nodes (to root or leaf/pup out). I'm guessing since he didn't come back, he wasn't able to get anything from these pieces.
laticauda
6 years ago
Yeah, I would just stick them in a pot and let them do their thing so long as the rot isn't really rot and is just a part that got waterlogged and decomposed. Rot will spread and would need to be cut back to healthy tissue.
ChasingCenturies (Arizona 9b)
6 years ago
Agaves do not propagate in this manner. Period. Laura F, you should leave the plants be. If they're suffered meristem death, but the rot has stopped, your plants may develop axial and/or rhizomatous offsets. Some folks kill Agave meristems on purpose to encourage axial offsets. The process is called coring, and these can take a couple years to develop, so some patience will be required.
john Gilchriest
6 months ago
last modified: 6 months ago
Alovera kills fungus mold add to soil

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