About the Tequila Agave Plant
Agave tequilana, also called "blue agave" and "tequila agave," is a large succulent plant prized for its role as the key ingredient in tequila. Tequila agave is native to Jalisco, a state in western central Mexico. Does this Spark an idea?
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Appearance
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Tequila agave plants have thick, prickly, blue-green stalks that grow to be about two meters long. The plant takes approximately five years to mature; at that point, it grows a stalk with bright yellow flowers.
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Environment
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The tequila agave flourishes in Jalisco, a high-altitude region with sandy volcanic soil.
Uses
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Within a mature tequila agave plant's stalk is a heart, called a "piña" (pineappple) which contains the sweet pulp from which tequila is fermented and distilled.
Significance
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Tequila is the main ingredient of the margarita, a popular mixed drink that Jimmy Buffet helped boost to fame with his song "Margaritaville."
Diseases
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Tequila agave is susceptible to various forms of rot, which are referred to as "TMA": "tristeza y muerte de agave," or "wilting and death of agave."
References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Javier Lastras
