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Agave sisalana Perrine
Sisal-hemp

Agave sisalana
Copyright by: George D. Gann, 2018
Naturalized in Sunny Palms Pineland, Miami-Dade County, FL
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Family: Asparagaceae

Group: Monocot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Shrub

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: Southern Mexico; widely cultivated and naturalized.

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

FLEPPC Status: Category II Invasive

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Not Native, Naturalized

South Florida History and Distribution: This was introduced to Indian Key in Monroe County in 1833 by Henry Perrine, and from there to Africa, Asia, and tropical America. It became both one of the world’s most important strong fiber crops, and one of its most aggressive invasive weeds.

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Cultivated

Comments: For a review of the origin and history of Agave sisalana, see Trejo-Torres et al. (2018), written by IRC Associate Carlos Trejo, George Gann, and Maarten Christenhusz.

Synonyms: A. rigida, misapplied.

Other data on Agave sisalana available from :

Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
Agave sisalana has been found in the following 67 conservation areas :
Occurrence Native Status
Atlantic Dunes Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Attwood Addition, Indian Key Historic State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Bahia Honda State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Big Cypress National Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Bill Sadowski Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Biscayne National Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Biscayne National Park, Florida Keys Section Present Not Native, Naturalized
Blue Heron Hammock, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Cape Romano - Ten Thousand Islands Aquatic Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Castellow Hammock Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Cayo Costa State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Curry Hammock State Park Reported
Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammocks Botanical State Park Possibly Extirpated Not Native, Naturalized
Deering Estate at Cutler Present Not Native, Naturalized
Delray Beach Municipal Beach Present Not Native, Naturalized
Dove Creek Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Dry Tortugas National Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Dupuis Reserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Everglades National Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Fuchs Hammock Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Gasparilla Island State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge Present Not Native, Naturalized
Gulfstream Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Highlands Scrub Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Indian Key Historic State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge Present Not Native, Naturalized
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Jonathan Dickinson State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Juno Dunes Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Jupiter Ridge Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Key West National Wildlife Refuge Present Not Native, Naturalized
Larry and Penny Thompson Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park, Klopp Tract Present Not Native, Naturalized
Little Torch Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Loggerhead Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Long Key State Park Reported
Luis Martinez United States Army Reserve Station, Richmond Pine Rocklands Present Not Native, Naturalized
Matheson Hammock Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Mound Key Archaeological State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
National Key Deer Refuge Present Not Native, Naturalized
Navy Wells Pineland Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Phipps Ocean Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Pine Shore Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Porter-Russell Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
Quail Roost Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
R. Hardy Matheson Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Rock Pit 39 Possibly Extirpated Not Native, Naturalized
Rockdale Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Rosemary Scrub Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
San Carlos Bay - Bunche Beach Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Savannas Preserve State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Seabranch Preserve State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Silver Palm Groves Present Not Native, Naturalized
Snake Creek Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Spoonbill Sound Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Sugarloaf Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Sunny Palms Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
Tigertail Beach County Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Trail Glades Range Present Not Native, Naturalized
Trinity Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
Tropical Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Zoo Miami Possibly Extirpated Not Native, Naturalized

Agave sisalana has been found in the following 8 counties :
Occurrence Native Status
Broward County Not Native, Naturalized
Collier County Not Native, Naturalized
Lee County Not Native, Naturalized
Martin County Not Native, Naturalized
Miami-Dade County Not Native, Naturalized
Monroe County (Keys) Not Native, Naturalized
Monroe County (Mainland) Not Native, Naturalized
Palm Beach County

Agave sisalana has been found in the following 12 habitats :
Beach Dune
Coastal Grassland
Coastal Strand
Disturbed Upland
Keys Cactus Barren
Maritime Hammock
Pine Rockland
Rockland Hammock
Scrub
Scrubby Flatwoods
Shell Mound
Xeric Hammock

All Images:

Agave sisalana
Copyright by: George D. Gann, 2018
Naturalized in Sunny Palms Pineland, Miami-Dade County, FL
Expand
Agave sisalana
Copyright by: George D. Gann