<i>Agave </i>plant named ‘Blue Ivory’

Abstract

A new and unique Agave plant named Blue Ivory characterized by low mounded plant habit of long, linear, slightly-folded, distally-reflexed, variegated leaves having wide creamy-white margins with bluish-green centers and light bluish-green blush in the intermediate region. The leaves have firm, sharp medium-sized marginal and small apical spines and show occasional imprints from marginal spies of leaves above or below. The plant is useful in the landscape as a specimen, en masse, or also in a container in the home or landscape.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental Agave plant named Blue Ivory as herein described and illustrated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The photograph of the new plant demonstrates the overall appearance of the new plant including the unique traits as a two-year-old plant grown in a container in a greenhouse with supplemental water and fertilizer as needed. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum, temperature, source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a close-up of the new plant in a container with new unfurling foliage and marginal teeth and apical spines.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a comparison of the variegation color and width, and the habit of the new plant (on the right) and the sport parent, Ivory Curls (on the left).

(4) FIG. 3 shows a close-up of the leaves with teeth imprints and marginal teeth.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(5) The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2015 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. The new plant, Agave Blue Ivory, has not been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype may vary slightly with different environmental conditions, such as temperature, light, fertility, moisture and maturity levels, but without any change in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are of a three-year-old plant in a commercial wholesale greenhouse in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental water and fertilizer as needed. Botanical classification: Agave gypsophila; Variety denomination: Blue Ivory; Sport parentage: Uninduced whole-plant sport of Agave Ivory Curls; Propagation: Division of offsets and shoot tip tissue culture; Time to initiate roots: About 42 days; Growth rate: Moderate to slow; Crop time: About 20 weeks to finish during the summer in a 3.8 liter container from an established offset; Rooting habit: Fleshy, lightly branching, with roots up to 20 cm long; Root color: Nearest RHS 158C; Plant shape and habit: Herbaceous tender perennial with basal rosettes of narrow, slightly folded, sinuate, distally reflexed, variegated, whorled leaves emerging from central base, producing a low symmetrical mound; Plant size: Foliage height about 10.3 cm tall from soil line to the top of the leaves and about 22.0 cm wide at the widest point about slightly below soil line when grown in containers; Foliage description: Linear; simple; sarcous; narrowly acute apex ending in medium-length stiff spine; truncate sessile base; marginal, outwardly-pointing, sharp, stiff spines decreasing slightly in size in proximal portion; slightly folded; glabrous, scabrous and slightly glaucous adaxial and abaxial; attitude mostly outwardly with distal portion reflexed; Number of leaves: About 20 per plant; Leaf size: To about 34.3 cm long, 8.9 cm wide near middle and 25 mm thick near base; average 32.5 cm long, 8.5 cm wide near middle and 23 mm thick near base; Leaf variegation dimensions: Adaxial margin to 16.0 mm wide in longitudinal middle and tapering rapidly to about 2.0 mm near apex; abaxial margin to about 16.0 mm in longitudinal middle and tapering rapidly to about 1.0 mm wide at apex; adaxial intermediate zone between creamy-white margins and bluish-green center widest in longitudinal center to about 5.4 mm wide, abaxial intermediate zone to about 6.0 mm wide; adaxial bluish-green center to about 2.2 cm wide in middle; abaxial bluish-green center about 6.8 cm wide; with irregular narrow longitudinal stripes of bluish-green extending various random lengths into the intermediate zone and narrow creamy-white longitudinal stripes of various random lengths extending into the blue- green centers of mostly on adaxial and rarely on abaxial; Foliage fragrance: None observed; Stem: To about 6.4 cm wide and about 5.0 cm tall; covered with leaves; Leaf blade color: Mature adaxial.Outer margin nearest RHS NN155A, center nearest a blend between RHS 136A and RHS 190B, intermediate zone nearest a blend between RHS N155A and RHS 133B. Mature abaxial.Margin nearest RHS NN155A, center nearest a blend between RHS 136A and RHS 190A; intermediate zone nearest blend between RHS 136B and RHS NN155A. Expanding young adaxial.Margin nearest RHS NN155, center nearest a blend between RHS 136A and RHS 190C, intermediate zone nearest RHS N155A and RHS 136B. Expanding young abaxial.Margin between RHS NN155A to N155D, center blending between RHS 122C, RHS 190B and RHS N155A; intermediate zone a blending of nearest RHS NN155A and RHS 136B. Apical spine: Stiff and sharp; to about 2.5 mm long, about 1.0 mm across at base; Apical spine color: Nearest RHS 200A; Marginal spines: Sharply pointed; stiff; distally pointing outwardly and slightly curved toward apex or base; lighter colored and decreasing in size, stiffness and separation in proximal portion; distally about 4.5 mm long and about 7.5 mm apart; proximally about 2.0 mm long and 5.0 mm apart; Marginal spine color: On young emerging leaves and basal 2 cm of mature leaves nearest RHS NN155A, distally on mature leaves nearest RHS 200A with tips nearest RHS 164A; Petiole: Sessile; Veins: Absent; Flower description: Flowers have not yet been observed; Fruit and seed: Have not yet been observed; Disease resistance: Agave Blue Ivory has not been observed to be resistant to diseases common to Agaves beyond that which is normal for Agave. The plant is xeromorphic and survives well with minimal water once established. Hardy in frost-free areas. Full extent of winter hardiness has not been tested.