April 13 is Plant Appreciation Day and we are celebrating the agave–a plant that grows naturally and easily in much of Arizona. This remarkable plant boasts 10,000 years of history and a myriad of uses. There are currently 212 known varieties and species according to the Desert Botanical Garden, and while agave’s bold, graphic design is a favorite of photographers, its beauty is more than ornamental. You probably know tequila comes from the blue agave, but do you also know that agave produces a syrup sweeter than sugar, sisal that’s tough as rope, and that it has potential to be a biofuel?
At Castle Hot Springs you can see 30 different species of agave up close. The resort’s lead agronomist Ian Berger propagates these with “pups” or seedlings from the existing plants. Just outside the Lodge he points out a massive Americana, one of the most popular of the landscape agaves. Step inside and sidle up to Bar 1896 and you’ll find agave straws, a sustainable alternative to the plastic variety.
The Story of the Agave
Dip into Aztec mythology and you’ll find the sacred agave plant symbolizes passion and transformation. Colorful versions of the legend include a beautiful goddess, Mayahuel. The goddess enters a passionate but ill-fated love affair, only to be reawakened as an agave plant. Her syrup provides a comforting elixir for those mourning her demise. But there is so much more than tequila to unpack in this gift from the gods.
An 18th-century Swiss botanist gave the plant the name we call it by today. Agave is derived from the Greek word meaning “illustrious,” and Greek mythology has a legend around a woman named Agave who was queen of the Maenads, followers of the god of winemaking.
Native to Mexico and the Southwest, agave thrives in the hot, dry desert. Various species can be 5 inches or 10 feet wide, rigid as a sword or languorous as an octopus. Sharp-tipped, fibrous leaves store water, protected from evaporation by a waxy coating, and they wear a myriad of shades ranging from blues to greens, edged with white filaments, razor-sharp red teeth or yellowish stripes.
One well-known species is the century plant, so named because it takes a very long time (10-30 years) for its one and only blossom to appear before it dies. Talk about a late bloomer. Age is beauty when it comes to the agave, for the older the plant, the more beautiful and useful she becomes.
The Countless Uses of Agave
The agave miracle is how difficult it is to put to use. But still, humans have been doing so for millennia. This is a tough, desert plant. The most treasured part of the blue agave, for instance, is the pineapple-shaped bulb at the heart of the plant. To get there, you have to wield a machete-like knife to hack through many layers of tough, fibrous leaves to free the bulb from its base. And that’s after you get past the needle-like thorns.
If you ever came to be lost in the desert, the agave is the plant that might save you. For thousands of years, this nurturing plant provided sustenance for hunters and gatherers. Native Americans knew how to extract food, fiber, soap, thread and medicine. They even made musical instruments from it, such as the traditional Apache fiddle. Ponder that. Not only can the agave provide the drink to make the party lively, it can also provide the music. And it can be used to produce a foamy soap for washing the dishes.
Agave plants also act as a natural resource for desert wildlife, providing food and water. The plants provide shelter for animals to hide, birds to nest, and small mammals to nibble on seeds in the shade.
Agave Farm at Castle Hot Springs
The beautiful agave plants are a magical part of the guest experience at Castle Hot Springs. Several years down the road, guests will be able to taste a truly-Sonoran spirit made from the roasted pinas of agave recently planted on the onsite Agave Farm. Berger is nurturing “a library” of 9 agave varieties in 2,500 plants across three acres. The resulting mezcal-style libation will surely be a celebration worthy of the queen of the desert.