ID help: agave montanas?

[Pedro]

Hi,

have had these three agaves for some time now and I always thought they were montana spp, but I have some doubts since one of them has produced offsets and the others two do not. Any help is much appreciated!

ps: since I am in my learning phase, I would appreciate if you please elaborate and how you arrive to the ID and not just providing me with the species. Txs!

[mcvansoest]

There are others much better at this than I am, but to me.

The one on the left looks a lot like Agave gentryi - color, size, leaf shape.

The center one is Agave montana - again color, leaf margins, and bud imprints.

Not so clear on an ID on the one of the right, my best guess would be A. havardiana, based on leaf shape, leaf color, but it is the one I am least confident about.

[Melt in the Sun]

ditto on one and two. Third I also agree it's not a slam dunk - havardiana, parryi, possibly even parrasana (but I think the leaves are too glaucous for that). force me to guess and I'll say parryi.

[MikeyDude]

Could the third one be neomexicana?

[Miguel]

Neomexicana is completely different.
I fully agree with the diagnosis given before.
1. gentryi
2. montana
3. most probably parryi.

[gina22]

Hi
I know this is an old thread but having recently bought what I thought was a Montana I am now in the same boat as the original post , having noticed now that there are a couple of offshoots on this plant . My question is does this automatically rule out Montana because of the offshoots. Thanks …gina

[Paul S]

Mostly Agave montana doesn't offset but it can do so, no, that alone can't rule it out. Pictures will help.

[gina22]

Thanks for getting back to me, I’ve attached photos of what I think is a agave Montana

[Paul S]

That looks like gentryi to me.

[gina22]

Thanks Paul , have just started my agave journey and got this online , had my doubts when it landed . The reason I went for a Montana was I liked the clean sharp lines and more upright and bold green , this has more of a blue kind of hue and spread to it . Thanks for yer thoughts on it