The fleshy agave leaves are arranged in rosettes. They vary in color from green to bluish or grayish green. Sometimes they are striped or mottled.
Agave leaves store the plant’s water and are therefore crucial to its existence. The coated leaf surface prevents evaporation. The sharp, spiked edges discourage predators from eating the plant or using it as a source of water.
The photo of the center leaves of Agave hurteri was captured in a cold house of Basel’s Botanical Garden.