Golden Flowered Agave. Agave chrysantha, Agave Family ( Agaveae or Agavaceae ), Golden Flowered Agave. Also called: Goldenflower Agave, Century Plant, Golden Flower Agave, Mountain Agave. We wish to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for some of the information on this page. We share images and information with Wikipedia. The Agave chrysantha rosette is composed of yellowish green to green leaves, 36 - 48 inches long. The leaf margins are undulate to wavy, they are armed with well defined teeth. Goldenflower Agave is one of a few plants in Mexico used to make mezcal. Technically, tequila is a type of mezcal, however all mezcals are not tequila. To be a true tequila, it must be derived from Agave tequilana Weber azul, or more commonly known as the Webers Blue variety of Agave tequilana.The tequila also must be produced in the Mexican state of Jalisco, in the town of Tequila. We have been to Tequila and you can smell the fermenting for several miles away. Mezcal is made from one of 5 or 6 species of Agave. Agave chrysantha, is one used for mescal, not tequila. Flowers smell like coconut. Quick Notes: Height: Dense rosette, 3 - 4 feet tall, and 3 to 4 feet in diameter. Flowers: A large stalk emerges from the center of the plant, it becomes about 15 feet tall. Then, gold yellow flowers grow from the stalk. It will die after flowering and will need to be replaced. Flowering Time: Phoenix Arizona, January - August. Leaves: The leaves are yellowish green to green, not cross-zoned, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate. The leaf margins are undulate to wavy, they are armed with well defined teeth. Found: Native of Sonora (Mexico). Native of central Arizona. The USDA also claims it is native of the USA (AZ). Hardiness: Hardy to about 17� F. USDA Zone 8. USDA Zone 8a: to -12.2 �C (10 �F) USDA Zone 8b: to -9.4 �C (15 �F) USDA Zone 9a: to -6.6 �C (20 �F) USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 �C (25 �F) USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 �C (30 �F) USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 �C (35 �F) USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 �C (40 �F) Soil pH requirements: 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral) 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline) 7.9 to 8.5 (alkaline) Sun Exposure: Full Sun Elevation: Native at 2,100 - 6,300 feet. In Central Arizona. When gardening, we find that it is only hardy to about 17� F. USDA Zone 8. Habitat: It grows well in sand, sandy loam soils. It needs good drainage and aeration. It is remarkably tolerant of alkali. Miscellaneous: Maintenance: Low. Photos Taken; Desert Botanical Garden of Phoenix Arizona, October 6, 2006.

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