Recently, the "White Whale A. titanota 'Hakugei' " brought in from Taiwan—with its bold look, strong contrasting colors, and compact, ball-like shape—sparked the Agave boom. This led people to wonder: is the "Taiwan White Whale" a different lineage from the "White Whale" that has long been grown in Japan? Well, I don't know for sure, but I do think the Japanese White Whale holds its own just fine! So, while the Taiwanese White Whale has gained widespread recognition under the name "White Whale," the Japanese one has begun recirculating under the name "traditional White Whale." The plant in the photo is an offshoot from a gigantic White Whale grown for over 20 years by a seasoned collector in Kyoto. You can definitely see it has a style that's just as cool, and I get the sense that the potential of the Japanese White Whale isn't really that different from its Taiwanese counterpart—maybe just a difference in growing conditions, after all ((basically, there's not as much difference as many first thought)).
| Season Type | Summer |
|---|---|
| Sun Exposure | Full Sun |
| Hardiness | -5℃ / 23℉ |
| Blooming Season | - |
Gray display shows general information for Agave.
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The White Whale that has been grown in Japan for a long time is actually different from the one that has recently been imported from Taiwan. So, does it look any different from the Taiwanese White Whale? Personally, I’ve come to the conclusion that they’re basically the same thing after all.
Speaking of the traditional White Whale, it used to be seen as a large-leaved, big-spined, robust-looking plant, but in the end, that mostly came down to the way it was grown. When placed in the currently typical, high-light, tough-love conditions that agaves now prefer, even these plants develop the classic White Whale features seen in the Taiwanese type: short and rounded blue-gray leaves with fine, wavy margins and spines.
In other words, it seems the Taiwanese White Whale actually comes from well-propagated Japanese White Whales.
Recently, White Whale has been reevaluated and praised for its cool look, and I really hope it continues to get the recognition it deserves and is preserved for the next generation.
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