Agave, Century Plant, Maguey 'Joe Hoak'

I am pretty sure this is an A desmettiana hybrid- it looks very similar to shape and grows similar, suckering closely just like A desmett...Read Moreiana... but the leaf quality and color is different. The leaves of this plant are soft, almost rubbery, and the spines are for the most part no danger (terminal spines can still you a good jab). Seems pretty wimpy in hot, blazing sun, but does great in partial sun to shade. Is a tad cold sensitive for an agave, getting a bit burned in the high 20s. Rare, and expensive plant, though rapidly becoming common... some are so variegated they are almost a see-through pale yellow. Large plants are extremely ornamental.

Just had a freeze in Los Angeles Jan 2007 of 27F for an extended period... 'melted' a significant portion of one mature plant... so now I know its limits at least.