Furcraea samalana Trel. is perhaps the most obscure species in this entire guide — a wet-tropical furcraea from southeastern Mexico to El Salvador with a mere 5 observations on iNaturalist and no published cultivation data whatsoever. Described by William Trelease in the early 20th century, it has received virtually no attention in the modern botanical or horticultural literature. Its inclusion here serves to document the existence of this valid, accepted species and to flag it for future research.
Taxonomy and nomenclature
Described by William Trelease. Family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. POWO accepts the name and classifies the species as a shrub. No synonyms are listed. The epithet samalana likely refers to a locality in the range — possibly related to the Samalá River valley or region in Guatemala, though this is not confirmed in available sources.
Morphological description
Classified as a shrub by POWO, suggesting a plant of moderate size — possibly developing a short trunk. No detailed morphological measurements could be found in the accessible English-language literature. Trelease’s original description (early 20th century, likely published in one of his Agavaceae monographs) remains the primary reference.
Distribution and natural habitat
POWO gives the native range as southeastern Mexico to El Salvador. Critically, the species grows primarily in the wet tropical biome — distinguishing it from the majority of Mexican furcraeas, which are associated with the seasonally dry tropical biome. This suggests a habitat in humid lowland or foothill forests, possibly along the Pacific slope of Chiapas, Guatemala and El Salvador, where wet tropical vegetation occurs at lower elevations.
Cultivation and cold hardiness
| Hardiness | 0 to −1 °C / 30–32 °F (estimated; USDA zone 10b) |
| Habitat | Wet tropical biome; SE Mexico to El Salvador |
| Documentation level | ★ — virtually no data; not in cultivation outside native range |
The wet tropical origin strongly suggests that Furcraea samalana has essentially no meaningful frost tolerance. A conservative estimate of 0 to −1 °C is based purely on the habitat type and by analogy with other wet-tropical furcraeas. This is likely the least cold-hardy species in the genus alongside Furcraea cabuya.
The species is not available in the horticultural trade and has never been recorded in cultivation outside its native range. Any future introduction would require warm tropical or heated greenhouse conditions.
Conservation considerations
With only 5 iNaturalist observations and no published population assessment, the conservation status of Furcraea samalana is completely unknown. The wet tropical forests of its range (from Chiapas to El Salvador) have experienced severe deforestation and fragmentation. Given its apparent rarity in the field and the well-documented threats to Mesoamerican wet forests, a targeted search and IUCN assessment would be highly desirable.
References
POWO (2026). Furcraea samalana Trel. Plants of the World Online, Kew.
Trelease, W. (early 20th century). [Original description of Furcraea samalana]. [Publication details not confirmed in accessible sources.]