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Asparagaceae FAMILY Vulnerable

Agave bovicornuta

Agave bovicornuta

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

The juice of the plant is caustic and produces a temporary dermatitis on tender skin, with a burning sensation, inñammation, and white welts or blisters. Some people are more susceptible than others. Washing with soap only increases the burning. It is better to wipe dry or wash with clear water only[1]. Many Agave species have strong, sharp spines on the leaves and leaf tips. In theory at least, the flowers, nectar, immature flowering stem and the centre of the rosette of all Agave species is edible and, with proper preparation, can provide a sweet, tasty foodstuff. Some species, however, contain relatively high levels of saponins (which makes them taste bitter) and some other compounds which can cause bellyache, and so these would only be eaten in times of desperation. In addition, many people may find these foods to be strongly laxative the first few times they eat them[2]. The Western Tarahumara use Agave vilmoriniana, which is rich in sapogenins, and Agave bovicornuta and Agave wocomahi, the toxic constituents of which are unknown, to stupefy fish trapped in rock enclosures or pools in rivers. The plants are mashed on a rock, the juices are allowed to drain into the river and then the mashed plants are thrown into the water. Several plants are needed to stupefy the trapped fish which, upon reaching the surface, are collected[3]

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Perennial
Growth—

Agave bovicornuta is found in semi-arid regions in the warm temperate zone, extending south in Mexico into the tropical dry forests[3] Agave species generally require a sunny position, succeeding in most soils of medium-fertility so long as they are very well-drained. Most species are undemanding as to the soil pH, though those found in the wild on limestone soils will grow better in neutral to alkaline conditions. Plants are generally very tolerant of dry conditions and of extended periods of drought[4]. Most Agave species are monocarpic, individual rosettes living for a number of years without flowering before sending up an often very large flowering stem and then dying after flowering and setting seed. This species does not produce shoots or bulbils and apparently it also requires cross pollination, thus when cultivated in gardens the plant dies in one generation when it reaches between 12 - 18 years old and flowers[1]. Some plants in gardens have been observed to live up to 30 years[3]. Individual plants take about 7 - 15 years in their native habitat, considerably longer in colder climates, before flowering[5]. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[6].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow in a container in a light position. The fertile black seeds germinate readily and can easily be cultured in flats or pots during early stages[1]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 3 months at 15 - 20°c[7, 4]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots of well-drained soil when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a sunny position until they are at least 10cm tall before planting out. Offsets and suckers can be potted up at any time they are available. Bulbils, where produced, are an easy method of propagation. Simply pot them up and plant out at the beginning of a growing season when they are 10cm or more tall. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-19. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Agave+bovicornuta>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]The Agave Family in Sonora; Agriculture Handbook No. 399 — Gentry H.S. · Agicultural Research Service, USDA; Washington D.C. · 1972 ↩︎Gives quite a lot of information on the traditional uses of the plants.
  2. [2]The Agaves of Baja California — Gentry H.S. · California Academy of Sciences; San Francisco · 1978 · ISBN 0068-5461 ↩︎
  3. [3]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
  4. [4]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  5. [5]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  6. [6]Perennial Garden Plants — Thomas. G. S. · J. M. Dent & Sons, London. · 1990 · ISBN 0 460 86048 8 ↩︎A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
  7. [7]Growing from Seed. Volume 1. — Rice. G. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1987 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.
  8. [8]Population Dynamics and Sustainable Management of Mescal Agaves in Central Mexico: Agave potatorum in the Tehuacán-C — Toees I. et al · 2015 · https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-014-9295-2. ↩︎
  9. [9]The Warihio Indians of Sonora-Chihuahua; An Ethnographic Survey (Anthropological Papers, No. 65) — Gentry H.S. · Smithsonian Institution · 1963 ↩︎An excellent study