Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Agave Big Boy
Agave Big Boy is a large-growing selection of Weber's agave, the smooth-edge agave, grown by local Arizona growers. It has very large, fleshy blue leaves with only fine teeth near the base and a sharp tip spine. Weber's agave can grow 5 to 6 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide, so it makes a bold specimen for a large, open desert garden. It needs good drainage and little water once rooted.
Best for: a bold specimen in a large, open desert garden, big containers, and spots away from walks where a wide rosette has room.
Weber's agave can spread 6 to 10 feet, so give it a large, open spot. It makes a strong focal point in a big desert garden.
It can also be grown in a large container for a bold statement. Use a big pot with drainage holes and fast-draining soil.
Its leaves have only fine teeth near the base, not the hooked edge spines of many agaves. The tip spine is still sharp, so plant it back from walks.
It quickly outgrows small beds. Poor drainage can rot it, and overwatered plants draw the agave snout weevil, which favors Weber's agave.
- Tight group4 ft apart, center to center
- Looser group6 ft apart, center to center
Set it in dry soil at the depth it grew in the pot. Hold off watering for about 1 to 2 weeks in warm weather, or up to a month when it is cool. Then water about every other week while nights stay above 60°F. Light shade cloth for the first few weeks helps it settle.
Water deeply, then let the soil dry before the next soak. About every 2 weeks in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall is plenty. Cut back by October and let winter rain carry it.
Most plants never need fertilizer. If you do feed, use a light balanced fertilizer in spring or early summer, never on a new plant and never in fall or winter. No pruning is needed beyond removing dead lower leaves.
Yellowing leaves in summer are a sign of heat stress. Give it a deeper soak and, where possible, some protection from intense western sun.
Weber's agave is one of the agaves the snout weevil attacks most. Keep the soil on the dry side, watch for wilting and a plant that rocks loose, and remove an infested plant quickly.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
What is Agave Big Boy?
It is a large-growing selection of Agave weberi, Weber's or smooth-edge agave, grown by local Arizona growers. It has very large, fleshy blue leaves.
How big does it get?
Weber's agave grows about 5 to 6 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide. Big Boy is sold as a large-growing selection, so give it a big, open spot.
How far apart should I plant it?
Plant about 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center, for a group. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your bed.
Does it take full sun in Phoenix?
Yes, it grows in full sun or part shade. If the leaves turn yellow in summer, that is heat stress, so give it a deeper soak.
How often should I water it?
Once rooted it needs little water. Soak it deeply every few weeks in summer, less in spring and fall, and little or none in winter.
How cold can it take?
Weber's agave is listed as hardy to about 10 to 15°F. Cover it with frost cloth that reaches the ground on hard freeze nights.
Does it make pups?
Weber's agave often makes pups around the base. Dig them out with a sharp shovel, let the cut dry for several days, then plant them.
Does it bloom?
Yes, once, at the end of its life, when it sends up a tall, branched stalk of yellow flowers, sometimes with small plantlets. The rosette dies after it blooms, so cut the stalk and replant a pup in its place. The bloom comes in spring or summer.
Can snout weevils get it?
Yes. Weber's agave is one of the two agaves the snout weevil attacks most. Keep it on the dry side, watch for wilting, and remove an infested plant quickly.
Are the leaves sharp?
The edges have only fine teeth near the base, but each leaf ends in a sharp spine. Keep it back from walks and pools, or snip the tips.
Agave Big Boy for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Agave Big Boy is a large-growing selection of Weber's agave, the smooth-edge agave, from local Arizona growers. Below is what to expect from it in the Valley, from size, sun and water to cold, pups, blooming and spacing.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
What is Agave Big Boy?
It is a large-growing selection of Weber's agave, also called smooth-edge agave. Its very large, fleshy leaves are blue, with fine teeth near the base and a sharp tip.
How big does Agave Big Boy get?
Weber's agave grows about 5 to 6 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide. Plant it where it has room to reach full size.
How far apart do you plant Agave Big Boy?
Plant about 4 to 6 feet apart center to center. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your bed.
How often do you water Agave Big Boy in Phoenix?
Once rooted, soak it deeply every few weeks in summer and water little in winter. Yellowing leaves in summer are a sign it wants a bit more water.
Is Agave Big Boy cold hardy?
Weber's agave is listed as hardy to about 10 to 15°F. Use frost cloth that reaches the ground on hard freeze nights.
Agave Big Boy vs Smooth Edge Agave
Both are Agave weberi with the same care. Big Boy is sold as a large-growing selection with very large blue leaves.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.