A selected specimen of the so-called titanota A. titanota , commonly known as “SAD.” It is known for its huge, broad, central white spines. According to one theory, the spines can be about a third of the length of the leaf, but it’s actually rare to see such mature plants (I wonder what conditions are needed for that...). As the name suggests, it is said to have come from South Africa, though the exact origins are unclear. These days, with mericloned plants becoming available, SAD is much easier to get hold of, but perhaps due to the counterfeit scandal, the market has become distinctly polarized between clones with clear provenance (with known parentage) and everything else. As of 2025, it’s definitely not attracting as much attention as it once did. Still, now that the one at my place is finally looking impressive, if people all over start showing off their splendid SADs again, its popularity might catch fire once more. Incidentally, some of my other SADs never develop this particular look at all—maybe the rumors about fakes have some truth. I wonder if "only plants that grow vigorously and achieve the signature appearance are recognized as true SADs."
| Season Type | Summer |
|---|---|
| Sun Exposure | Full Sun |
| Hardiness | -5℃ / 23℉ |
| Blooming Season | - |
Gray display shows general information for Agave.
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! November 2023
! June 2024
! September 2024
! October 2025
! January 2026
From a young age, you can see a lot of thin, wavy, white spines coming out like a brush, and even seedlings with just a few leaves keep showing this trait, so it’s relatively easy to identify (that said, even larger, well-grown juvenile plants don’t tend to be very expensive these days).
! Sorry, but you’re probably not a “South Africa Diamond”...
In the titanota community, “counterfeits” are always a topic that comes up (since it’s basically impossible to tell them apart when young, honest mix-ups can definitely happen). But with SAD, some well-known shops actually issued recalls after confirming mistakes, so it kind of became the symbol of the Agave fake-plant scandal.
I wish I could say, “No worries, all those SADs back then turned out to be the real deal,” but since I’ve ended up with a SAD that’s clearly not a SAD, it’s hard to deny that the counterfeit incident was real after all.
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