The spines of the plant were used for needles. The leaves are cut at the base, carried to the factory, rolled and the water squeezed out, and the other mushy tissues scraped away from the fibers. The fibers are then washed and hung out in the sun. They can be dyed directly. Although henequen is still mostly grown in Mexico, sisal is now cultivated in many parts of the world.
Sisal is important in Brazil, East Africa, Madagascar, and other arid areas.
The fibers come mostly from the leaf bases. The plant is now grown in many parts of the tropics. The fibers are isolated in much the same way as those of sisal and henequen. It is quite important there. It gives a soft and pliable fiber.