Furcraea foetida 'Mediopicta'

variegated giant false agave

Mauritius hemp was once cultivated extensively for fiber, but that use has since declined due to the fact that other fibers, such as sisal, abaca, jute, and synthetics, have better qualities for the purposes these fibers are used. Although Mauritius hemp fibers have desirable aesthetic qualities (long, fine, soft, white), they are not as strong as other fibers, and strength is key for major uses: making ropes, twine, sacks, cloth, mats, hammocks, etc. If Mauritius hemp remains a fiber crop, it will be for specialty applications that take advantage of its fiber’s aesthetic qualities. It's quite interesting to see how fibers like this are extracted from the plant and processed; the plant featured in the video below is the sisal plant, a relative of Mauritius hemp:

Root extracts are used in tonics for blood purification and to treat fever. Leaves are used to treat wounds, swelling, rheumatism, and paralysis. Leaf sap is used on hair to make it glossy and prevent hair loss but the sap contains an irritating substance, so either its effects aren’t that bad, or glossy hair is worth the itchiness. A decoction made from the leaves is used as an insecticide when treating pests on domestic animals. The leaves are used as a fish poison, which is an interesting way to fish; much different than hook and line. Basically, the leaves are mashed up and thrown into a body of water. Before long, fish begin floating to the surface, paralyzed by the plant toxins (usually affecting the nervous system). It would be pointless to poison the fish if they couldn’t be eaten, so plants with toxins that affect fish but not humans are used.

The plant, especially the variegated cultivar ‘Mediopicta,’ makes for a large, attractive feature in a landscape. It has low water requirements and does best in part shade to part sun. It makes an effective hedge and is used to line railroads in India and Sri Lanka to keep animals and people from the tracks. That being said, cattle seem to enjoy grazing the young plants, so they could conceivably eat their way through the hedge and onto the railroad tracks. The plant is also useful as a firebreak when planted en masse. In Singapore, the plant has done very well as part of green roof plantings, so there are promising prospects for the plant in this emerging area. The species is a notable noxious weed in Australia and surrounding islands, so they’ll likely be choosing different flora for their roofs.

A number of anti-cancer compounds can be derived from the leaves, with the most notable discovery being furcreastatin, which has shown selective cytotoxicity on cells that have a mutant tumour-inducing gene. Medicinal use may be this plant’s most important contribution into the future.