ruthbancroftgarden:

Agave montana

Agave montana is native to a few mountainous areas in northeastern Mexico, and until recently it was seldom seen in gardens. The plant pictured is the first time we have had it come into bloom at the Ruth Bancroft Garden, and it is a striking sight with its dark-purple floral branches and bracts, its dark red buds, and the vivid yellow of its stamens, pistils, and the insides of the flowers. With its compact artichoke-like rosettes of leaves and its considerable cold-tolerance, this is a species well worth seeking out. Unlike many other agaves, it stays single rather than putting out offsets with abandon.

-Brian