Agaves in Brooklyn

[Newyorksucculents]

Hello all,

Would appreciate any advice as I’m considering investing in some agaves for our Brooklyn (7b) yard. Our problem is of course cold, wet winters. Do you think I’ll be wasting my money?

We have a couple of Yucca rostratas that are quite happy. In previous winters we lost one of two Sabal minors, and our Rhapidophyllum hystrix sustained damage but survived. I’m trying some trachies this year - they’re currently under frost sheets and wrapped in Christmas lights.

In other places I had read good things about A. utahensis and was going to go in that direction - but old posts on this thread suggest it isn’t as tough as I thought. Ideally I don’t want to baby whatever agave I get too much - if our relatively frequent rain and snow will disfigure it, I’ll get another yucca. What do you think?

And thank you!

[abborean]

If you're covering with frost cloth and heating with lights I'd think you can grow most anything there. If you want to plant out in the open unprotected there's not much in the way of agaves. The cold hardiest ones aren't tolerant of any wet. Am in SE NC 8A and grow many species unprotected but utahensis and other extreme desert agaves won't live here despite it being much warmer than their native range. There are some folks growing funkiana unprotected in south jersey. You might try that. If you have a good south facing wall am sure you can grow some others.

[Cawsie]

Montanas do well here for me in sw Uk. 60 inches of rain last year, -4 c a week or so ago. Not a mark on them. Just dig in tons of grit and plant on a mound of it. Another one which laughs at the cold and wet here is Pseudoferox Bluebell Giants. Just a stunning really dark green leaved plant. Ovatifolia doing great but the Vanzie one not so good.
All plants unprotected.

[nsp88]

I would think funkiana/lophantha, ovatifolia, or "belleville" would have a chance. Especially if started large enough, elevated/good drainage, soil heavily amended, and/or protected. Possibly some protoamericana or asperrima. I see people making various parryi and neomex work in zone-pusher groups, but those seem so sensitive to water, that I don't know. I hear parryi "jc raulston" handles wet weather alright, but I've never tried them.

[jdjn13]

Montanas do well here for me in sw Uk. 60 inches of rain last year, -4 c a week or so ago. Not a mark on them. Just dig in tons of grit and plant on a mound of it. Another one which laughs at the cold and wet here is Pseudoferox Bluebell Giants. Just a stunning really dark green leaved plant. Ovatifolia doing great but the Vanzie one not so good.
All plants unprotected.

Slightly off topic but where abouts in the sw uk are you?

[Newyorksucculents]

Thanks all - I have some googling to do, and then maybe some purchasing! Seems like there are fun options.

Let’s see how the existing plants cope with upcoming Big Freeze…. We’ll be below 10F repeatedly, and snowy.

[Cawsie]

Hi. Just west of Swansea a mile or so from the coast.

[mickthecactus]

I’m just north of London and parryi and mitis grow happily. And a couple of utahensis are doing ok.