Agave multifilifera

Agave multifilifera, known in English and French as chahuiqui, is a succulent with a rosette of dark green spiky leaves ornamented with curly white hairs on the edges. Like all agaves, it dies after flowering and producing fruit.

This is another hot-climate plant that Torontonians must grow indoors. The plants above were photographed in the succulent and cactus greenhouse at Allan Gardens.

Agave angustifolia var. variegata

Agave angustifolia var. variegata, known in English as variegated Caribbean agave and in French by the genus name, is an evergreen succulent which dies after blooming.

This is another beautiful plant that can't survive Toronto winters except as a houseplant or in a greenhouse. I took this picture in the Allan Gardens conservatory.

Allan Gardens: a tropical escape from Toronto's winter!

This Sunday I spent an enjoyable hour on a tropical vacation, at the Allan Gardens greenhouses, located on Carlton east of Jarvis. (Not only a convenient location for me, but free too!) The entrance features a high domed ceiling and some very large plants. The tree on the left is a common screw pine (Pandanus utilis). In the background you can see the very large leaves of a banana tree (Musa spp.). In the greenhouse south of the entrance hall, seasonal bedding provides a carpet of colour beneath the larger permanent residents. Currently the bedding plants include azaleas (Rhododendron spp.), Cyclamen, daffodils (Narcissus spp.), and snowdrops (Galanthus spp.), with tulips (Tulipa spp.) and Crocus in bud. Also in the south greenhouse, a pond features a statue of Leda and the swan. The white frond like things in the background are actually ornamental cabbage or kale (Brassica oleracea) which has bolted. In person they looked like little white Christmas trees. In a greenhouse to the north of the entrance is a collection of cacti and other succulents.

I've got close-ups of some individual plants in the Allan Gardens greenhouses. I'll be posting them with short profiles as time permits.

Learn more about Allan Gardens:

• Allan Gardens site by Toronto Parks and Recreation
• Allan Gardens site by Toronto Botanical Garden, with information on adult ESL tours offered January through March
• Allan Gardens site by toronto.com