What is the difference between snake plant and agave? A quick guide to tell them apart
1. Snake plant
It has many alternative names, such as thousand-year plant (qiansuilian). It is a perennial that stays green year-round, belongs to the Asparagaceae family (Agavoideae subfamily), has roots that creep along the ground, and has no stem. It generally grows to about 1 m tall. Its leaves grow in clusters and stand upright, are relatively thick and fleshy, and both sides of the leaves have dark green stripes in a wavy, irregular pattern, like a tiger's tail, which is how it got its name. Its flower scape can grow to 80 cm. The flowers are relatively small, usually white or pale green, fragrant, with many flowers gathered into a cluster, with one to three clusters bunched on the flower stalk. However, when grown at home, it rarely blooms, so people usually enjoy its leaves.
2. Agave
This plant also belongs to the Asparagaceae family (Agavoideae subfamily). It is also a perennial and a relatively large plant, and it can also stay green year-round. It is also called dragon's tongue palm (longshedang), among other names, and originates from the Mexico region. Because its leaves are relatively stiff and do not turn yellow or wither all year, it can be seen in many gardens in the south, where it is used for decoration. In areas along the Yangtze River and to the north, it is often grown in greenhouses. It likes places with good drainage, fertile soil, and relatively moist conditions. Even in Mexico, it generally takes decades of growth before it can bloom. After it blooms, it dies. Only if it is cross-pollinated can it produce fruit.
3. How to distinguish them
1. The simplest way is to look at their form. The latter's leaves grow surrounding the stem and then extend outward, giving the whole plant a rosette shape. The former has no stem above ground; its leaves lie directly on the ground and grow vertically, so the overall shape is bundle-like.
2. The former grows upward, but most plants in the same family grow in a fan shape, so agave leaves spread out radially like a flower.
3. The latter's new leaves are yellow-green, while the former's new leaves are darker in color than the latter's. Moreover, the former, just like its name suggests, looks very much like a tiger's tail, with some dark green patterns on it, and it can grow only one new leaf per year. The latter's new leaves grow relatively quickly, taking only one to two months to grow from a small seedling into a rosette shape.