Hardy Tropicals UK

Mine is still looking a little tatty after it was turned to mush during the freezing spring, it has put on a few new spikes this summer.

Looks fine but I'd surround with some gravel chippings if it was me

dino wrote:My plain Americana is in the ground which I cover in winter. My Variegata is potted and I bring in as it's too risky in these parts. Medio Picta also comes in but that's still a baby.

Oddly there's a Agave Mediopicta planted out in a South facing garden near me that has been undamaged over the last few bad winters while Agave Americana both green and variagated a few metres away were badly hit! Very unusual!

Rob S wrote:

dino wrote:My plain Americana is in the ground which I cover in winter. My Variegata is potted and I bring in as it's too risky in these parts. Medio Picta also comes in but that's still a baby.

Oddly there's a Agave Mediopicta planted out in a South facing garden near me that has been undamaged over the last few bad winters while Agave Americana both green and variagated a few metres away were badly hit! Very unusual!

Are you sure it's real?

dino wrote:Looks fine but I'd surround with some gravel chippings if it was me

That's the plan, the whole area around it, including the Chamerops and Yucca gloriosa are going to become and new arid bed, and the lawn stripped. Its a job for next spring so no point adding chips around the lawn before then.

GREVILLE wrote:]Found a pic of the little variegated americana from Spring last year

[attachment=0]GrevPlants 2012 080.JPG[/attachment

The mass of roots from the large Phoenix canariensis_Phoenix canariensis_CIDP growing above have really slowed down the growth. Still not much bigger this year.

Forgot the little utahensis at the top of the pic. This had been in for two winters but was lifted at the end of 2012 and has been potted this year.

Greville, that red sedum looks like S. rubrotinctorum. Is it hardy for you?

Hi, Joel. I purposely planted the S. rubrotinctum by the variegated agave so that it would create a small ground cover under it and help it be picked out by the red 'beans'. As you can see from the pic a competitive little thug had other ideas.

It is half-hardy for me. In winter I place a few plastic crates over the succulent bed and drape a blanket over it for a damp minus two or three night time forecast. Don't mind a little lower if the air is dry and above zero is forecast for the day - in other words, exactly the same conditions required for the Agave, only then will I forgo the cover. The recent cold winters have inflicted a little damage on it occasionally but it soon recovers thanks to its rerooting capacities.

I do like that Sedum I got hold of a small piece 2 or 3 years ago and it's leaf dropping has ended up with it propogating itself in every nearby plant pot. It's reliably coming through our winters in the cold frame so I may propogate some more to plant out alongside other cold hardy succulents receiving winter cover.

Yorkshire Kris wrote:

Rob S wrote:

dino wrote:My plain Americana is in the ground which I cover in winter. My Variegata is potted and I bring in as it's too risky in these parts. Medio Picta also comes in but that's still a baby.

Oddly there's a Agave Mediopicta planted out in a South facing garden near me that has been undamaged over the last few bad winters while Agave Americana both green and variagated a few metres away were badly hit! Very unusual!

Are you sure it's real?

I agree Kris, I am in Essex on a technicality, sitting on the border to London and my Medio Picta whimpers & suffers kept dry in a frost free conservatory.

Oddly there's a Agave Mediopicta planted out in a South facing garden near me that has been undamaged over the last few bad winters while Agave Americana both green and variagated a few metres away were badly hit! Very unusual![/quote]

Are you sure it's real?[/quote]

I agree Kris, I am in Essex on a technicality, sitting on the border to London and my Medio Picta whimpers & suffers kept dry in a frost free conservatory.[/quote]

I can assure you it's real, i will try to get a picture tomorrow!

cheshirepalms wrote:

dino wrote:Looks fine but I'd surround with some gravel chippings if it was me

That's the plan, the whole area around it, including the Chamerops and Yucca gloriosa are going to become and new arid bed, and the lawn stripped. Its a job for next spring so no point adding chips around the lawn before then.

Great, look forward to seeing pictures

Oddly there's a Agave Mediopicta planted out in a South facing garden near me that has been undamaged over the last few bad winters while Agave Americana both green and variagated a few metres away were badly hit! Very unusual![/quote]

Are you sure it's real?[/quote]

I agree Kris, I am in Essex on a technicality, sitting on the border to London and my Medio Picta whimpers & suffers kept dry in a frost free conservatory.[/quote]


So i managed to get a shot of this Agave today which is in the front garden of an upmarket apartment block close to my house, unfortunately it's slightly out of focus but you get the general idea, be good to get a positive i.d on this one, been outside for a number of years unprotected and minimal damage;

Rob S wrote:Oddly there's a Agave Mediopicta planted out in a South facing garden near me that has been undamaged over the last few bad winters while Agave Americana both green and variagated a few metres away were badly hit! Very unusual!

Are you sure it's real?[/quote]

I agree Kris, I am in Essex on a technicality, sitting on the border to London and my Medio Picta whimpers & suffers kept dry in a frost free conservatory.[/quote]


So i managed to get a shot of this Agave today which is in the front garden of an upmarket apartment block close to my house, unfortunately it's slightly out of focus but you get the general idea, be good to get a positive i.d on this one, been outside for a number of years unprotected and minimal damage;[/quote]


Yes it is what you think it is but puzzled how it has survived?

Survival on this is probably down to a sheltered well-drained raised bed and a sunny location with the brickwork throwing out some radiated heat on bright days.

Rob S wrote: So i managed to get a shot of this Agave today............

How about the cycas in the background ?