Sisal Hemp (Agave Sisalana)

Sisal Hemp (Agave Sisalana)

Botanical Name: Agave Sisalana

Also Known as:

• Sisan
• Sisal Agave
• Hemp Plant
• Mescal

Agave is a Perennial succulent plant

Sisal, with the botanical name Agave Sisalana, is a species of flowering plant native to southern Mexico but widely cultivated and naturalized in many other countries. It is Stemless perennial with thick succulent leaves 1-1.5 m long having smooth edges and a sharp dark-brown terminal spine. The plant produces a central spike up to 6 m high after seven or eight years. The leaves are threshed for the durable white fibres used in the manufacture of rope and twine. The leaf, waste, or pulp, left as a by-product accumulates in large amounts at processing sites.

Care and Growth: 

Light: Agave Sisalana plants grow slowly in low light. Placing an Agave Sisalana in the sun outside for even a few minutes, burns the leaves.

Soil: Agave Sisalana plants grow well in a loose, quick-draining soil. These plants are from Hawaii and often arrive planted in lava rock. Remove 1/3 of the lava rock and replace it with a good potting mix.

Temperature: This plant is native to warm climates and as such, Agave Sisalana thrive in comfortable room temperatures between 60-80 degrees. Anything below 50-degrees could be potentially harmful.

Watering: Allow the soil of your Agave Sisalana to dry out slightly between watering, then water thoroughly until water comes out of the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot. Discard any excess water that has collected in the saucer -your Agave Sisalana does not like to sit in water. Too many yellow leaves mean the plant is staying too wet, and brown leaves indicate that it’s too dry.

Fertilizing: Fertilize monthly in the spring and summer with a balanced plant food diluted to 1/2 the recommended strength. Never feed an Agave during the winter and fertilize only once during the fall.

(Flowering plants only blossom naturally in their respective seasons. Fruit-bearing plants only produce fruits naturally during their growing seasons. All plants are sold in generic nursery pots, and may naturally vary in colors/sizes from the exact images illustrated above.)