Features, looks and more

The relatively rare flower of the agave

The name of the century plant for certain agaves was used in earlier times because some types of agave actually take a relatively long time to flower. With the largest Agave species it sometimes takes several decades for the flowers to open for fertilization at the upper end of an inflorescence that is up to 12 meters high. Ideally, the fruit will then form three-chamber capsules with flat black seeds inside. Since the seeds are hard to come by due to the rare bloom, agaves are usually straightforward through the Offshoots from the so-called Kindelnincreased.

These products are made from parts of certain agaves

Based on the range in the supermarket, some gardeners might get the impression that agaves produce particularly sweet fruits. The so-called "agave syrup" is not made from the fruit, but from the stalk of certain agaves, which is after the

Cutting off the leaves remains. In addition to the well-known agave syrup, the following economically important products are also made from parts of the agave:

• Sisal
• Mezcal
• tequila

To obtain sisal, agave species such as agave sisalana and agave cantala are specifically cultivated on special sisal plantations. The blue agave (Agave tequilana) serves as the raw material for the production of the spirit tequila, which is also considered to be a national drink of Mexicans worldwide.

Beware of your own experiments with agaves

Some people confuse agave with the because of the relatively similar appearance of the leaves Aloe vera. From my own attempts to make tequila or agave syrup from the Agaves in the garden you should refrain from doing certain without the appropriate specialist knowledge Agave species quite easy too poisonous could be.