Confusing Names Befuddle Gardeners

Published: Thursday, October 4, 2012 at 2:24 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, October 4, 2012 at 2:24 p.m.

As I've pointed out many times, the common names for plants can be remarkably misleading. That's the case with two of my favorites: A houseplant that brightens up windowsills, and a landscape plant that's tough as nails despite its delicate appearance.

The houseplant with the unfortunate moniker is a variable Mexican succulent called wax agave, even though it's unrelated to Agave species. Wax agave (Echeveria agavoides) is a small, well-behaved and easily maintained plant with fleshy leaves attractively arranged in a rosette around a very short stem. Those leaves, apple green with red tinting in the warm season, usually become vividly margined and tipped with dark-red pigment in winter, especially in bright light.

In fact, the stronger the light, the better this diminutive succulent looks and grows, though it can tolerate life on a north-facing windowsill for a long time. Of course when shifting this or any plant to a brighter location than it's accustomed to, do it in stages so the plant can adjust.

Unlike most Echeveria species, wax agave rarely produces offsets, though some atypical specimens form large clumps that can be divided. Wax agave can also be propagated by rooting entire leaves. Flowers, a combination of soft-red and dark-yellow colors, are displayed in summer. Varieties of wax agave include "Aquamarine," "Lipstick" and "Ebony." Provide extremely well-drained soil that's allowed to dry out between irrigations. Fertilize lightly in spring.

My nominee for a confusingly named landscape plant is "Sprengeri" fern (which encompasses the foxtail fern, a cultivar). Why? Because "Sprengeri" fern (Asparagus aethiopicus aka A. densiflorus) isn't a fern. A native of Africa and the Mediterranean region, it's actually a species of Asparagus, and thus a member of the lily family.

Regardless of its common name, this wiry, slightly spiny, needle-leaved plant is pest-proof, drought tolerant and cold hardy, and it thrives in sun or shade, which accounts for its widespread use as a billowy, knee-high groundcover.

During the warm season, "Sprengeri" fern displays an abundance of tiny, white blossoms followed by bright-red berries that are esteemed by birds. Those tasty berries, transported by hungry birds, result in volunteer seedlings that justify the indictment of "Sprengeri" fern as somewhat invasive. The foxtail cultivar is better behaved but not as robust.


This story appeared in print on page B9


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