Dylan: Sorry to have opened the worm can. I agree that monocarpic isn't a great term for agaves, despite it's origin as Jim well described. Some agave species act like bromeliads and the rosettes die after flowering. Species like A. parviflora, striata and other non-suckering species flower and then offset on the same stem, then start growing again. Multiannual doesn't fill the niche, since the nature of the word seems contradictory....multi - annual. Tony Avent Plant Delights Nursery @ Juniper Level Botanic Garden 9241 Sauls Road Raleigh, North Carolina 27603 USA Minimum Winter Temps 0-5 F Maximum Summer Temps 95-105F USDA Hardiness Zone 7b email tony@plantdelights.com website http://www.plantdelights.com/ phone 919 772-4794 fax 919 772-4752 "I consider every plant hardy until I have killed it myself...at least three times" - Avent