Hi Stan,

It seems to me that the length of leaves is relevent to the amount of light it is receiving. Your caudata plant appears to be reaching out for more light, hence the dark,long,strappy, bent leaves. Mine is growing beneath 75% shade cloth and flowers regularly every year and has much shorter, tougher looking leaves.

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All the best, Nev.

No,but I know why you would think that-because mine is sort of a "maxima" var.It's for some reason the main form around the bay area. I've seen my jumbo caudata at the SF Botanical garden in full sun,and in Oaklands Dunsmuir house-at least 4+' tall. Part shade in my yard makes it a grow longer still. But,the photos of the normal sized caudata on the net show a much more compact plant that even on one candlelight could never be so large.

I'd agree with Nev that your plant is so strappy because it is starved for sun. I have the same form, and it looks the same as yours where it doesn't get enough direct sun, but the foliage stays nice and tight at about 3.5 feet tall where it does get more sun. I also have forms of Ae. caudata which only get about 18 to 24 inches tall.

I've seen the strappy Ae. caudatas at Strybing you refer to, and they aren't getting enough sun either, and therefore look like yours. Winter is a good time to move young pups to a fuller sun spot. Try it if you are willing/wanting to see what they can look like, and/or have the room in more sun.