These Chihuahuan desert native agaves form distinctive, tight ball-shaped rosettes with short, thick, and rigid triangular toothless leaves of dark green with white bud imprint on upper and lower leaf surfaces. They look like an artichoke. Each leaf does have a short, sharp terminal spine, but they are mostly smooth as Agaves goes. They are slow growing but dependable in well-drained soils for full sun to part sun locations. They work well in containers, planted in masses, or simply mixed with other desert accents or perennials.

In their natural desert scrub habitat, these Agaves appear like terrestrial cephalopods, hence the common name Octopus Agave. They have wild, strongly recurved, unarmed olive green leaves that arch out from a central crown to form an open sculptural rosette. The leaf texture can be slightly scabrous. These are mostly solitary plants but they can produce colonies from bulbils that fall from bloom stalks and root in. When mature, their unbranched bloom stalks can produce either yellow flowers or bulbils, which is how they are mostly propagated. These are low maintenance and highly adaptable Agaves that can be used in any frost-free landscape. Plant one specimen for a statement or plant them in mass.

This Agave is described as medium large, green to grayish, forming open arching rosettes with wide pliable, straight to recurving guttered leaves with smooth leaf edges, ending in a 1.5-2 in. terminal spine. This is all true information but these Agaves have way more majesty than this precise physical description indicates. Often, when plant aficionados come across an Agave weberi they are usually in awe from the sight of them. These are soft-leafed, gray-green plants with a pleasing urn shape. They are sculptural without looking deadly or overbearing despite their mature size. They make excellent container plants, landscape specimen plants or even blend into sophisticated tropical designs. Like other agaves, they demand well-drained soil, and they are free suckering, creating many pups around the base of the mother plant.

This Agave has soft, unarmed blue green leaves with a flame-like appearance from which its common name was derived. It is a luscious looking clump forming or groundcover type hybrid Agave. Individual plants grow at a moderate rate to 2-3 ft. high & wide, but as they age, they will continue to multiply to form groups that can spread 4-8 ft. in width. They are great for use at poolside, water features and patios where you want to maintain a soft, invitingly cool, tropical appeal. Minimal maintenance, but they prefer regular supplemental water through the first summer or two. As with other Agaves, well-drained soil is a must.

This is a hybrid agave, between two other favorites, Agave attenuata and A. ocahui. Like all hybrids, the offspring display only the best qualities provided by both parents. This is a small, well-behaved Agave with flat to slightly cupped leaves that are silvery-blue green color and have a short reddish terminal spine. They form a nearly symmetrical round shape similar to A. ocahui. The leaf margins possess no teeth, they are thin, golden red in color with a spectacular translucence that allows the plant to literally glow when it is back-lit in the late afternoon or morning sun. Plant these beauties in masses, to accent hardscape elements, as individual specimens or in modern minimalistic containers, but site them where the sun will allow them to glow.

Quasimodo is distinctively colored with more gold than green and boasts the unusual feature of wavy or undulating leaf edges. Staying fairly small but often having a clumping growth habit, this plant can be utilized in many landscapes. Like other types, the leaves are armed with marginal teeth and a sharp, stiff terminal spine that deserve respect. They are a small to modestly sized Agave, only growing up to about 3 ft., which makes them quite suitable and attractive for container culture. Tolerating some shade or filtered sunlight, they are a popular variety to use as understory plants below many of our commonly used desert trees.

These Chihuahuan desert native agaves form distinctive, tight ball-shaped rosettes with short, thick, and rigid triangular toothless leaves of dark green with white bud imprint on upper and lower leaf surfaces. They look like an artichoke. Each leaf does have a short, sharp terminal spine, but they are mostly smooth as Agaves goes. They are slow growing but dependable in well-drained soils for full sun to part sun locations. They work well in containers, planted in masses, or simply mixed with other desert accents or perennials.

This is an arborescent Aloe that will form stout trunks that elevate the bold, spiny foliage. They produce wide, tapering leaves armed with small, sharp teeth on the margins and leaf surfaces for protection. Fall to winter blooming, they form dramatic, multi-branched, candelabra type stalks that are densely covered with dark, burnt orange tubular flowers. They are long blooming with flowers opening from the bottom of the stalk first. Cape Aloes are resistant to cold compared to other Aloes. As with other Aloes, they require well-drained soils and can be planted in full to part sun. A period of acclimation is needed for locations with the hottest western sun.

These are robust Aloes with wide, thick fleshy leaves at the base tapering up to a narrow point with a vertical habit. Leaves do have some small, serrated teeth along their edges, but they are not dangerous or alarming. In spring & summer they have a gray-green color, often turning light bronze during winter. In spring, flower stalks rise well above the foliage. These stalks are typically dual or triple-branched covered in numerous yellow hanging tubular blooms that are highly attractive to pollinators like hummingbirds and bees. These are the true medicinal aloe from which healing salves and other cosmetic products are made. They are low maintenance and tolerate drought although some supplemental water is beneficial during blooming and summer heat. Well-draining soils are a must for these plants, as with all other Aloes. Hybrids exist that have narrower, green leaves, tend to sucker faster and produce bloom stalks that are unbranched, with light orange tubular flowers.