Century plant

Agave

Agave desmettiana Tropical Agave


Ruler icon 2-3 ft. high x 2-4 ft. wide

Sun icon Full to part sun

Thermometer icon USDA zones 9-12

These are upright, vase to urn-shaped Agaves with mostly smooth leaf edges and sexy, recurving sword-shaped leaves. They are green to glaucous color with a short, somewhat sharp terminal spine. These are coastal, tropical Agaves suitable as stand-alone xeric landscape features, but they blend and accent other tropical looking plants like Hibiscus, Bougainvillea, Canna lilies, and Tecoma sp. They can acclimate to full sun, but perform quite well in some shade or filtered light. Low maintenance and adaptability to many different design models makes them some of the easiest choices for designers.

Agave desmettiana ‘Variegata’ Variegated Tropical Agave


Ruler icon 2-3 ft. high x 2-4 ft. wide

Sun icon Full to part sun

Thermometer icon USDA zones 9-12

These are upright, vase to urn-shaped Agaves with virtually toothless leaf edges with sexy curving sword-shaped leaves. This desirable selection has green leaves with a ribbon of gold along their margins.  These are coastal, tropical Agaves suitable as stand-alone xeric landscape features, but they blend and accent other tropical looking plants like Hibiscus, Bougainvillea, Canna lilies, and Tecoma sp. They can acclimate to full sun, but perform quite well in some shade or filtered light. Low maintenance and adaptability to many different design models makes them some of the easiest choices for designers.

Agave durangensis Zacatecas Agave


Ruler icon 3-4 ft. high x 4-6 ft. wide

Sun icon Full Sun

Thermometer icon USDA zones 9-12

The common name is a nod to Zacatecas, Mexico and the species name indicates the broader region where these sturdy and sculptural Agaves originate from. “Durangensis” means “from Durango” and refers to the native distribution of the species in Durango, Mexico. Deep guttered, vertical leaves of gray-green growing from a thick rosette, helps identify this Agave. Adding to its dramatic appearance, they have numerous, large marginal teeth that create an outstanding bud imprint on the leaf surfaces with leaves tipped by a strong, nearly black terminal spike. The rosettes grow to 6 feet in diameter, usually solitary or offsetting sparingly. Leaves are up to 3 feet long. Provide them with well-drained, or granite-laden soils and some extra water during the growing season to keep these handsome Agaves happy.

Agave fernandi-regis (Syn. Agave ferdinand-regis) King Ferdinand Agave


Ruler icon 1.5-2 ft. high x 2-3 ft. wide

Sun icon Full to part sun

Thermometer icon USDA zones 8-12

Often mentioned as “the King of Agaves”, these elegant plants form short, round tight rosettes of green and white. The leaves are triangular or more precisely, deltoid in shape, wide at their base, tapering to a short, black terminal spine, but the leaf edges are smooth and white in color. It is these leaf margins that leave the distinctive white, linear crisscrossed bud imprints on leaf surfaces, looking as though a yeoman actually painted each leaf by hand for the king himself. These Agaves are related to the Queen Victoria Agave and many variations exist, but with the onset and technology of tissue cultured clones we can all expect the finest selections will prevail. Despite their noble appearances, these are tough, and durable plants. They perform very well in filtered light but they will tolerate full sun, with some acclimation to hottest western exposures. Provide them with well-drained soils, as with other Agaves.

Agave filifera Thread Leaf Agave


Ruler icon 2-3 ft. high & wide

Sun icon Full to part sun

Thermometer icon USDA zones 8-12

These Agaves have it all! Narrow 3/4 – 1.5 in. wide, lance-shaped green leaves about 1 ft. long, are gently curved to form an artichoke-like rosette with propensity to form clumps of several offsets up to 3-4ft. across. The smooth, toothless margins shred or tear off to create a hairy appearance that stands out from any amount of back-lighting, and they have white strips that form decorative crossing bud imprints on the leaf surfaces. They do have a short but sharp terminal spine, which makes them a bit ferocious, despite their fuzzy animal-like look. They are tolerant of full or part sun, alkaline soils and of course drought conditions. They are native to sky island, pine-forested habitats of central Mexico, which provides a good amount of cold hardiness.

Agave geminiflora Twin Flowered Agave


Ruler icon 2-3 ft. high x 2-4 ft. wide

Sun icon Full to part sun

Thermometer icon USDA zones 9-12

These Agaves have spread to tropical countries across the world as a popular fiber commodity. They occur naturally in southern Mexico where they live free from frost and get ample natural rainfall. These are large sized plants with distinctive narrow, straight lance-shaped leaves typically dark green to deep gray-green with short, sharp terminal spine and tiny serrated marginal teeth. These are free suckering plants with one larger mother plant with numerous pups of various sizes around her base. Bloom stalks are impressively tall at 15-20 ft. tall with widely spaced branched clustered blooms. They tolerate heat with no issues, they require good drainage and will be happiest with regular supplemental irrigation, especially during warmer months of the year. Give them space to grow and spread, but they pair well with any desert trees or other large-scale cacti or accent plants.

Agave gentryi Hardy Agave, Gentry Agave


Ruler icon 3-4 ft. high x 3-5 ft. wide

Sun icon Full to part sun

Thermometer icon USDA zones 7-12

Variable Agaves with a wide natural distribution in northern Mexico can yield several slightly different appearances of this species. However, for these purposes, they typically form wide, lime-green guttered, tapered leaves with sharp, protruding marginal teeth and a stout, dark terminal spine. They will grow slowly to be slightly wider than they are tall with some offsetting pups. These Agaves can be happy in full sun to part shade amongst many other drought tolerant adaptable or native trees, shrubs, perennials, ornamental grasses, or Yucca sp.

Agave havardiana Havard Agave


Ruler icon 2-3 ft. high x 3-4 ft. wide

Sun icon Full sun

Thermometer icon USDA zone 5-12

These are the quintessential Chihuahuan Agave, occurring in the high deserts of southwest Texas, southern NM and northern Mexico along mountainous slopes, rocky draws and adjacent oak to pine grasslands. They form beautiful blue-gray colored rosettes of wide, slightly guttered leaves that taper to a wicked sharp, gray to black terminal spine, with sharp recurved gray marginal teeth that leave sumptuous bud imprints. These are some of the coldest hardy agaves available in the landscape trade, although to weather cold wet winters, especially with snow, they must be grown with excellent drainage. These are mostly solitary plants, with little to no offsetting and they produce spectacular, widely branched bloom stalks that form tufts of dense flowers adored by pollinators. If you could only pick one Agave for your project, no matter where it is in the west or southwest, choose a Havard Agave. They are bold, beautiful, and tolerant of heat and cold.

Agave lophantha ‘Quadricolor’ Vareiegated A. lophantha, or Quadricolor Lophantha


Ruler icon 1-2 ft. high & wide

Sun icon Full to part sun

Thermometer icon USDA zones 8-12

They are strikingly attractive Agaves, prized for container gardens, but with good draining soil they are perfectly happy in the ground. They prefer morning sun to filtered light in low deserts and full sun in coastal gardens or higher elevation or inland areas. These are small, highly decorative plants with flat, pointed strap-like leaves that form a small ball close to the ground. The leaves are striped with dark green, chartreuse, and bright yellow, with the fourth color of their Quadricolor namesake being a reddish color that shows up in their small, sharp marginal teeth. Like others of this species, these plants are prone to suckering with many pups developing around the larger mother plant.