Sorry about that...One of the reasons I don't grow them or Cactus, not a big fan of the thorns. Link below might help you. Might want to put something on it?

Here is a link that might be useful: Agave info

yea they give you quite a rash :) you should wear gloves when your cutting off the leaves.

Blutarski,

As a matter of fact, some folks react quite negatively to the sap of Agaves. Poisonous, no, I guess not in the technical sense (and I hope that makes you feel better) but it does have chemical irritants to it that can make some folks uncomfortable. I haven't read much (that I can remember) on it, but first-hand experience and stories told around the campfire lead me to believe there's something to this agave sap that can lead to a non-succulent experience.

I remember discussing this some years back on this forum. The problem is called Irritant Contact Dematitis (ICD). Plants can cause skin irritation in two ways: mechanical (MICD), and chemical (CICD). MICD is cause by sharp edged leaves and thorns, and CICD by chemicals in the sap or skin of a plant. Agaves haves both kinds of defenses! The most important irritant is called calcium oxalate, and is found in many different kinds of plants.

I can't hot link the article, but if you google "Irritant Contact Dermatitis from Plants" and click on 'show more results Medscape', you can see links to each individual page of this informative article:

Irritant Contact Dermatitis from Plants
Gunjan M. Modi; Christy B. Doherty; Rajani Katta; Ida F. Orengo
Posted: 08/17/2009; Dermatitis. 2009;20(2):63-78.

I copied some of the relevant information here:

Calcium Oxalate

Found in many genera of plants, calcium oxalate is a water-insoluble salt that forms bundles of needlelike crystals called raphides. Contact with moisture causes plant cells to eject the raphides, which can then come into contact with skin or mucosal surfaces. Irritancy is mechanical in part and due to the anatomically sharp structure of the crystals themselves. The crystals are believed to be more irritant when longer than 180 µm.[21] The raphides of calcium oxalate have been classified historically as a chemical irritant mainly because they allow the penetration of other plant chemical toxins (includin (including proteases, saponins, and other chemicals) that may not normally breach the skin on contact. They also enhance the penetration of known skin irritants, including many alkaloids from daffodil bulbs, bromelain in pineapples, and saponins in Dieffenbachia. The most frequently cited example of calcium oxalate-induced CICD is that of Dieffenbachia spp, commonly used as decorative plants.[1,2,9]...

Agave:
Agave spp are laden with calcium oxalate raphides and saponins. A single droplet (0.03 mL) of juice extracted from the leaves of the agave plant is reported to contain hundreds of calcium oxalate raphides, each as long as 500 µm.[24] These crystals and saponins are the presumptive source of the marked pruritus and stinging associated with exposure to the agave plant.[3]...On agave plantations and in tequila distilleries, CICD related to agave is more routinely seen.

This was shocking:

Other Plants: Raphides are present in various amounts in other genera of plants. Some cacti, such as Cephalocereus senilis, contain up to 85% calcium oxalate by dry weight.[2]

The section of Mechanical ICD deals mostly with the main defense of Opuntia cacti: glochids. It is well worth reading.

I hope that helps clear things up! ;)

Brad

yeah i got stabbed by the spine on the end of a leaf. They're no joke! I think I'll live tho.

Thanks for the info Paracelsus. I've often suspected that there was something more than the obviously mechanical penetration going on.

Recently I unwittingly pulled a stinging nettle out of my garden. I couldn't believe how long the stinging lasted after I threw the weed away. It reminded me of the many times I'd been stung by fire ants when I lived in Texas. When I looked up stinging nettles on Wikipedia, it said the stinging chemicals include formic acid, which is also in ant venom.

Stabby stabby pokey pokey!

Don't worry blutarski. All my plants stab me whenever they get the chance.

i've been thinking about how the leaves are designed to give a really nice poke- the leaf bends inward, and the spring back pushes the spine in farther.

dastardly

Good information here!

Josh

Brad,

Thanks for the information and research - I shall be extra careful the next time I'm dealing with such beasts as this:

{{gwi:469051}}

so, i found out that the agave is growing a pup. so maybe this is a case of parental defensiveness.

digging thorns out of my fingers this morning myself. Why exactly do we have a hobby that attacks us?
Tally HO!

{{gwi:469053}}

I wish I read some of this posts before I cut the huge leaves of our Agave plant. I removed my weed trimmer and attached and added my little chain saw attachment and cut several huge leaves off near the bottom of the plant.The chain saw threw the pulp and sap at my legs as I cut the leaves, (I was in shorts) almost instantly the stinging started. Both of legs felt like they were on FIRE! I tried washing with the garden hose but that didn't help at all. I rubbed liquid benadryl all over my leg and that didn't help, I took a benadryl pill and after a few about 15 minutes the intense stinging subsided. I think someone said it was like being stung by fire ants. In my case thousands of them. All I could say is OMG OMG about 800 times. I was like I was standing in a real fire! I learned my lesson. That Agave pulp and sap is some potent nasty stuff. Be very careful working with this plant.

Woooo, Plants have some pretty awesome defense strategies for immobiles!
Thanks for the info, Paracelsus. I've clipped your post.

beachplant, Everytime I investigate a new bloom, it's always an Aaaw then an Oow.

Reminded me of this:

Interesting that they can make a sweetener (agave syrup) from something we react to that severely.

Sorry for all the type-o's in my last post here, I was still under the chemical influence of my Agave plant when I typed that one, so I'll just have to blame the plant.
I thought I would post a picture of the plant that ruined most of my day. After a few hours passed I only had a little itching on my legs and also my left hand. Thank goodness I didn't get any of the sap and pulp in my eyes when I was cutting the plant with my chain saw. This experience was a living nightmare for a spell. I had no idea if and when the stinging would stop! I usually don't panic in a traumatic situations but this one got me good, I guess from the lack knowledge about this plant I would say. Thinking back now at me yelling "OMG OMG" puts a smile on my face! I'm so glad that the pain didn't last too long, about 20 minutes but that was still way too long if you asked me! And I'm not sure the benadryl had any effect at all but I was so relieved when the stinging subsided. I forgot to mention that I also ran to to my Aloe plant out back, squashed two big leaves onto my legs and hoped that would help but my attempt was unsuccessful.
I trimmed this plant because all the lower leaves ends were ugly and some leaves were dead.
So again be serious minded when dealing with these Agave plants.

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden tenders

This post was edited by tjcarita on Wed, Jun 4, 14 at 21:12