Habitat: Red Rocks Tour

Use this forum to discuss matters relating to Agave, Beschorneria, Furcraea, Hesperaloe, Hesperoyucca, Manfreda, Polianthes, Yucca and related species. This is where one posts unknown plant photos for ID help.
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Gee.S
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Habitat: Red Rocks Tour

#1

Post by Gee.S »

This trip took us a fair distance north and west of our prior habitat excursions, and we had three goals, of which only one was met, that being a habitat tour of A. parryi v. couesii. We were also searching for A. verdensis and A. yavapaiensis, but those will have to wait for another time, although I believe a handshake with A. yavapaiensis may be imminent. In addition to experiencing the joys of hiking around red rock country, we also had an unexpected encounter with an Agave that was nowhere on our radar, A. phillipsiana, aka Grand Canyon Agave. This find was so startling, we couldn't begin to sort it out until exploring the matter later, when we realized that the Grand Canyon Agave, previously reported as confined to the very region suggested by its name, had been recently discovered right where we had been laying tracks. And good news too, of all the AZ natives we hope to find and photograph, I had counted A. phillipsiana the most daunting challenge of the bunch. Unfortunately, the A. phillipsiana pics are not great; we found but one small cluster, buried under a bush and a rather large and unforgiving Opuntia. Such is life, we did our best...

Other than a couple of Opuntia species, cacti were rare as hen's teeth, though the place was absolutely teeming with a couple of Yuccas, Y. baccata and Y. angustissima v. kanabensis. Dasylirion was entirely absent.
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Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
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Gee.S
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Re: Red Rocks Tour

#2

Post by Gee.S »

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Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
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Gee.S
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Re: Red Rocks Tour

#3

Post by Gee.S »

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Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
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Gee.S
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Re: Red Rocks Tour

#4

Post by Gee.S »

A. phillipsiana
A. phillipsiana
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Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
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Re: Habitat: Red Rocks Tour

#5

Post by leo25 »

Thanks so much for share your desert expedition.
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Re: Habitat: Red Rocks Tour

#6

Post by GreekDesert »

Fantastic parryi couesii to see so many agave, Agave, this is one of the hardiest and most suitable agave for our climate here in Germany. From the stem-forming yuccas, Yucca elata is the most promising, that can be planted without protection here.
Do we know more about what the frost hardiness of Agave phillipsiana, has someone in culture? Here it is unfortunately quite unknown.
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Re: Habitat: Red Rocks Tour

#7

Post by Gee.S »

Think A. utahensis hardy. A. phillipsiana grows in the same area as A. utahensis v. kaibabensis.
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
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Re: Habitat: Red Rocks Tour

#8

Post by Arizona Agave »

Great Photos Ron, thanks for posting them. Martin
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Re: Habitat: Red Rocks Tour

#9

Post by Jkwinston »

Great photos Ron! Couesii is one of the parryi group that I do not have. I am curious, do all these plants propagate from suckers? I have noticed few live flower stalks. Or is it the wrong time of the year? Jkw

A phillipsiana looks very interesting, and it is a new agave for me. Jkw
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Re: Habitat: Red Rocks Tour

#10

Post by Gee.S »

Thanks kindly! A. parryi v. couseii is about the least inclined to sucker of the parryi group, which might explain why it is generally less available. There were a fair number of dead stalks, but none live -- it is winter after all, and that part of the state is about 20°F cooler than the Valley. I'd have to return in summer to get shots of active stalks. I'll be heading back there this weekend -- I do believe I have the whereabouts of A. yavapaiensis surrounded, so I'm going to take another run at it.
Agave
"American aloe plant," 1797, from Greek Agaue, proper name in mythology (mother of Pentheus), from agauos "noble," perhaps from agasthai "wonder at".

"Some talk the talk, others walk the walk, but I stalk the stalk"
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