Furcraea hexapetala
(Jacq.) Urb.
Asparagaceae
Agave aspera Jacq.
Agave australis Steud.
Agave cubensis Jacq.
Agave hexapetala Jacq.
Agave odorata Pers.
Agave vivipara Arruda
Furcraea agavephylla Brot.
Furcraea aspera (Jacq.) M.Roem.
Furcraea cahum Trel.
Furcraea cubensis (Jacq.) Vent.
Furcraea macrophylla Baker
Furcraea valleculata Jacobi
Common Name: Cuban Hemp
General Information
Furcraea hexapetala is a succulent, evergreen, perennial plant producing a rosette of leaves about 75cm long from a very short woody trunk about 7 - 10cm in diameter[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for the fibre contained in its leaves and is also locally cultivated as fibre plant in the Antilles[
].
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Range
Northern S. America - Venezuela, Ecuador, Galapagos, north through the Caribbean and Mexico.
Habitat
Not known
Properties
| Medicinal Rating |  |
| Other Uses Rating |  |
| Habit | Evergreen Shrub |
| Height | 1.00 m |
| Cultivation Status | Cultivated, Wild |
Cultivation Details
Requires a well-drained soil and a sunny position[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Plants are monocarpic - they live for a number of years without flowering, then put all their energy into flowering and die afterwards[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Edible Uses
None known
Medicinal
The roots are used for medicine[
].
Agroforestry Uses:
Planted as living fences[
].
Other Uses
A fibre is obtained from the leaves[
46- Title
- Dictionary of Economic Plants.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Uphof. J. C. Th.
- Publisher
- Weinheim
- Year
- 1959
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
,
].
Propagation
Seed - rarely produced[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
Plants frequently produce large numbers of bulbils, which root and grow into new plants when they fall to the ground[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. These bulbils have the capacity to remain viable for a number of years, even in unfavourable conditions[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.
Useful Tropical Plants Database 2014 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
