Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Agave filifera
Thread agave, Agave filifera, is a small agave with narrow dark green leaves edged in fine white threads. It forms a tight, rounded rosette about 1 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. It fits tight spaces, patios and pots, or a group with other desert plants. It takes sun or filtered shade on little water.
Best for: tight spaces, patios and pots, and groups with other desert perennials.
It grows to about 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide in a tight, rounded rosette. That fits a narrow bed, a patio corner or the space between larger plants.
Its small size suits a pot on a patio or by the door. Use a pot and soil that drain well, and keep it on the dry side in winter.
Plant several together, or mix it with other desert perennials. The white threads on the dark green leaves stand out next to small flowering plants.
In the Valley it does better with some light shade in summer. Winter water can rot it. Each leaf ends in a sharp tip, so keep it back from paths.
- Group or mass planting2 ft apart
Plant into dry soil and wait about 1 to 2 weeks before the first watering, or up to a month in cool weather. Then water about every other week while nights stay above 60°F. Light shade cloth for the first few weeks helps it settle in.
Water it through the hot, dry summer, about every 10 to 14 days once rooted. Keep it dry in winter.
It is hardy to about 15 to 17°F, so a normal Valley winter is fine. Keep the soil dry in winter, since cold, wet soil is when rot sets in.
It makes only the odd pup and mostly stays one compact rosette. It blooms once, after many years, and then that rosette dies.
Most agaves need no fertilizer. If you feed, use a light balanced fertilizer in spring or early summer, never on a new transplant and never in fall or winter. No pruning is needed.
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 does filifera mean?
The name filifera means carrying threads. It refers to the fine white threads along the edges of the leaves.
How big does thread agave get?
It grows about 1 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, one of the smaller agaves. It fits a patio pot, a narrow bed or the space between larger plants.
Can it take full sun in Phoenix?
It takes full sun or filtered shade, but light shade helps it through a Valley summer. Plant it where it gets some afternoon shade, or under a light tree canopy.
How often should I water it?
Water it through the hot, dry summer and keep it dry in winter. Let the soil dry out between waterings.
How cold can thread agave take?
It is hardy to about 15 to 17°F, which covers a normal Valley winter. Keep the soil dry in winter.
Does it make pups?
It makes only a few pups, and most plants stay as one compact rosette. Leave the odd pup in place, or dig it out and plant it elsewhere.
Does thread agave bloom?
Yes, once, after many years. A spike about 6 to 8 feet tall carries greenish to purple flowers, then the rosette dies. A rare pup or seed carries it on.
Does it have spines?
Yes. Each leaf ends in a sharp tip spine, so wear gloves and keep it back from paths.
Can I grow it in a pot?
Yes. Its small size makes it a good pot plant for a patio. Use soil that drains well and water less in winter.
Is it 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. Keep pets from chewing on it.
Agave filifera for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Thread agave, Agave filifera, is a small agave named for the white threads along its leaf edges. It comes from central Mexico. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, from size, sun and water to cold, pups, blooming and where a small agave fits.
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What is thread agave?
Thread agave, Agave filifera, is a small agave from central Mexico. Its narrow dark green leaves carry fine white threads along the edges.
How big does Agave filifera get?
It grows about 1 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. It stays compact, so it fits patios, pots and tight beds.
Does thread agave need shade in Phoenix?
It takes full sun or filtered shade. Light shade helps it through the hottest part of a Valley summer.
How often do you water thread agave?
Water it through the hot, dry summer and keep it dry in winter. Soil that stays wet can rot it.
Is Agave filifera cold hardy?
It is hardy to about 15 to 17°F. A normal Valley winter is no problem, as long as the soil stays dry.
Can thread agave grow in a pot?
Yes. It is one of the small agaves people use in pots and tight spaces. Use soil that drains well.
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