Agave oteroi ‘Solar Eclipse’ is a compact, slow-growing agave selected for its distinctive mid-striped foliage and restrained size, making it well suited to containers and small garden settings. Plants form a dense, symmetrical rosette typically 1 to 2 feet tall and about 2 to 3 feet wide, though many specimens remain closer to the lower end of that range. The leaves are short, broad, and gray-green, each marked by a clear yellow stripe running down the center, a feature that remains stable in good light. Along the margins are long, narrow, recurved teeth that age from pale to grayish white, and each leaf ends in a reddish-brown terminal spine. Growth is slow and controlled, and plants are usually solitary. Like other agaves, it is monocarpic and flowers only at maturity, producing a tall inflorescence before the rosette declines. The species Agave oteroi is native to the Sierra Mixteca region along the Puebla–Oaxaca border and was first collected by Felipe Otero in 1984. This cultivar entered cultivation in the early 2010s and was later correctly named following the formal description of the species. It performs best in full sun near the coast or with light inland shade, requires very well-drained soil and low water, tolerates brief cold to about 25–30°F, and is best used as a collector plant, container specimen, or small-scale focal accent in dry gardens.
