Agave 'Bad Hair Day'

RHS Plant Profile
agave 'Bad Hair Day'

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agave 'Bad Hair Day' RHS / Joanna Kossak
agave 'Bad Hair Day' RHS / Joanna Kossak

Synonyms

× Mangave 'Bad Hair Day'

Cactus Succulent

A rosette-forming evergreen perennial succulent with narrow, spineless, rubbery arching lime-green foliage flushed with red spotting and red tips

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
10–20 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H4
Drought Resistance
Yes

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Asparagaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Evergreen
Habit
Bushy
Potentially harmful
Skin irritant. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets (dogs, cats): harmful if eaten. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Genus
Agave can be perennial or monocarpic succulents, forming rosettes of usually rigid, fleshy, spiny-edged leaves, with funnel-shaped flowers in racemes or panicles often much taller than the rosettes
Name Status
Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow under glass in cactus compost in full light. Water freely in summer, giving a low-nitrogen feed three or four times. Water less in autumn and keep dry in winter. Hardier than most agaves, and may survive outdoors in a warm position in very well-drained, slightly acid soil in full sun. See hardy cacti and succulent cultivation for further advice

Propagation

Propagate by seed. Dies after flowering and does not produce offsets

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Sub-tropical
  • Gravel garden
  • Conservatory and greenhouse

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to scale insects

Diseases

Generally disease-free