Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Agave celsii nova
Agave celsii 'Nova' is a smooth, blue-gray agave for the shadier side of a desert yard. It forms one broad, rounded rosette about 1 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. The wide leaves feel almost silky, with only small teeth along the edges. It fits a pot, an entry or a bed with morning sun and afternoon shade.
Best for: pots and planters, entry beds, and spots with morning sun and afternoon shade or a light tree canopy overhead. It stays one compact, blue-gray rosette that keeps to its space.
At about 1 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, it is a good size for a pot. Use a pot and soil that drain well, and set it where it gets some afternoon shade.
It does best in the Valley with morning sun and shade in the afternoon. A bed that gets shade after midday, or a spot under a light tree canopy, suits it.
The broad leaves are a blue-gray color and feel almost silky. It grows as one rounded rosette, so it keeps a clean shape by a door or in a courtyard.
Hot afternoon sun and reflected heat can scorch the leaves, and soil that stays wet can rot it. It also blooms younger than most agaves and makes no pups, so nothing carries on after it blooms.
Plant into dry soil and wait about 1 to 2 weeks before the first watering in warm weather, or up to a month in cool weather. After that, water about every other week while nights stay above 60°F.
Once it is rooted, water deeply about every 2 weeks in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall, and keep it drier in winter. Let the soil dry out between soakings.
Give it morning sun and shade from the hot afternoon sun, or filtered light under a tree. Keep it off hot west walls and reflected heat, which can scorch the leaves.
It is rated down to about 18 to 25°F. On hard freeze nights, drape frost cloth or a sheet all the way to the ground, not plastic, and uncover it in the morning. Move potted plants next to the house.
It grows as a single rosette with no pups to pull. It blooms younger than most agaves, and then that plant dies.
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 celsii 'Nova'?
It is a garden selection sold as Agave celsii 'Nova', with broad, smooth, blue-gray leaves. Agave celsii is now called Agave mitis. Some growers list 'Nova' as a cross of celsii.
How big does Agave celsii 'Nova' get?
It grows about 1 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. It stays as one rounded rosette, which keeps it tidy in a pot or small bed.
Does Agave celsii 'Nova' need shade in Phoenix?
Yes, it does best with some shade here. Give it morning sun and shade from the hot afternoon sun, or filtered light under a tree. Keep it off hot west walls and reflected heat, which can scorch the leaves.
Can I grow it in a pot?
Yes, its compact size makes it a good pot plant. Use a pot and soil that drain well, and place the pot where it gets afternoon shade.
How often should I water it?
Once it is rooted, water deeply about every 2 weeks in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall. Keep it drier in winter, when rain is usually enough.
How cold can Agave celsii 'Nova' take?
It handles cold down to about 18 to 25°F. On hard freeze nights, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet that reaches the ground, not plastic. Take the cover off in the morning.
Does Agave celsii 'Nova' make pups?
No. It grows as a single rosette and does not make pups, so there is nothing to pull or thin out around it.
Does it bloom?
Yes, and younger than most agaves. It sends up a stalk about 6 feet tall with pale yellow flowers. Like most agaves, it blooms once and then that plant dies, and with no pups nothing carries on.
Does it have sharp spines?
The leaf edges have small reddish teeth, and each leaf ends in a tip spine. Plant it back from walks and play areas, or snip off the tips, which do not grow back.
Why is my agave soft or mushy?
Too much water or soil that stays wet is the common cause, and it leads to rot. Let the soil dry out between waterings and plant it where water drains away.
Is Agave celsii 'Nova' poisonous to dogs or cats?
Agave is mildly poisonous if chewed. The sap can irritate a pet's mouth and skin and upset the stomach, and the tips can poke. Keep pets from chewing on it.
Agave celsii nova for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Agave celsii 'Nova' is a compact agave with broad, smooth, blue-gray leaves, and it is one of the agaves that does well with some shade in the Valley. Below is what to expect in a yard or pot, from size, sun and water to cold, blooming, spines and pets.
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What is Agave celsii 'Nova'?
It is a compact garden agave with broad, smooth, blue-gray leaves and small teeth along the edges. The species name Agave celsii is now Agave mitis, from eastern Mexico. Some growers list 'Nova' as a cross.
How big does Agave celsii 'Nova' get?
It grows about 1 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide as a single rosette. That size suits a pot, an entry bed or a small courtyard.
Can Agave celsii 'Nova' grow in shade in Arizona?
Yes. It does best in the Valley with morning sun and afternoon shade, or filtered light under a tree. Hot afternoon sun and reflected heat can scorch its leaves.
How often do you water Agave celsii 'Nova' in Phoenix?
Once it is rooted, a deep soak about every 2 weeks in summer is enough, and every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall. Keep it drier in winter, since soil that stays wet can rot it.
Is Agave celsii 'Nova' cold hardy in the Valley?
It handles cold down to about 18 to 25°F. On the coldest nights, cover it with frost cloth that reaches the ground, and move potted plants to a sheltered spot by the house.
Does Agave celsii 'Nova' make pups or bloom?
It does not make pups. It blooms younger than most agaves, on a stalk about 6 feet tall with pale yellow flowers, and then that plant dies.
Is Agave celsii 'Nova' good in a pot?
Yes. Its compact size and single rosette make it a good pot plant for a patio or entry. Use a pot that drains well and give it afternoon shade.
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