Agave potatorum "Kichijokan" is one of the most beautiful and highly sought after Japanese cultivars. It can be found under many different spelling
(rarely seen this name spelled the same way twice)
 

Description: Very attractive small growing rosette forming succulent, usually solitary and stemless. The bigger it gets the stronger the margination, spines, colour and global shape. (This cultivar shows a few different variegated forms and no two plant are exactly identical one to each other)
Rosette: Open spreading, symmetrical, hemispherical in shape up to 25 tall by 25 wide
Leaves: Short blue/gray with beautiful wide, up-curving, spoon-like shaped terminating in a wide upside-down "V". The outermost sides of the leaves have beautiful lateral, creamy-colored variegations (and occasionally also a pale green coloured variegastion along the centre of each leaf). Nice imprints are present on the back side of the leaves. The edges are a purplish/maroonish colour. The leaves have large rusty coloured teeth and a long sharp terminal spine that contrasts well with the pale leaf colour.
Flowers: May bloom at maturity with a tall spike.

This Agave is an outstanding container plant because of its smaller size, beautiful colour and regular proportions The degree of variegation is highly variable and it is a matter of experimenting with levels of light, heat or feeding to find the best situation for the best leaf colour.

Cultivation: Agave potatorum  is a relatively easy-to-grow species, though not as cold-hardy as many of the more northerly-occurring species (Winter hardy to around -3° C degrees) But it is best to protect it from frost to avoid disfiguring the foliage. Suited for light shade to full sun, but better with some shade in  summer.  It needs  a very well-drained soil.   It  grows fairly fast in summer if provided with copious water, but allow to dry thoroughly before watering again (the more water and fertilizer this plant gets, the faster it will grow). During the winter months, one should only water enough to keep the leaves from shrivelling.
It does great in containers or in the ground.  Plants cultivated outdoors are more drought tolerant, and can take some heat and full sun.  Remove eventual suckers to show of the beauty and form of the individual rosette.

Propagation: By  suckers that are found growing around the base of the plant. The basal suckers can be removed in spring or summer.  Let the cuttings dry for a few days before inserting into compost.

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of Agave potatorum:

• Agave potatorum
• Agave potatorum cv. SHOJI-RAIJIN
• Agave potatorum cv. KICHIOKAN marginata alba

Scientific Name:   Agave potatorum Zucc. cv. " Kichijokan"

Origin:  Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar) This selection is thought to be a Japanese cultivar of Agave potatorum but some consider it to be a form of Agave parryi.

 

The leaves have large rusty coloured teeth and a long sharp terminal spine that contrasts well with the pale leaf colour.


Agave potatorum "kiji-jo-kan" is a very unusual, rare coloured form  with amazing symmetrical lotus like leaf pattern. It is also known as the “Butterfly Agave” for the shape of the leaves that resemble butterfly wings. It forms wonderful rosettes that are wider at the bottom.