Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Agave guadalajarana
Agave guadalajarana is a compact, mostly single agave from the hills around Guadalajara in western Mexico. It forms a broad rosette of wide, blue-gray paddle leaves with bold orange to red-brown teeth and leaf prints from its neighbors. It stays about 1 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide and grows slowly. Use it as an accent in a gravel bed, a rock garden or a large patio pot.
Best for: large patio pots, accents in gravel beds and rock gardens, and dry borders with full sun or light shade.
It grows slowly and rarely makes pups, so it holds a tidy shape in a large pot for years. Use a pot with a drainage hole and a fast-draining mix.
The wide blue-gray leaves and orange to red-brown teeth stand out against gravel and boulders. Plant a group about 3 to 4 feet apart, center to center.
Once rooted it takes little water and handles heat well. Set it toward the front of a dry border where the leaf prints can be seen up close.
Soil that stays wet in winter can rot it, and hard freezes below the mid 20s can damage the leaves. The teeth and tip spine are sharp, so keep it back from paths.
- Tight group2-3 ft apart
- Open group3-4 ft apart
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.
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 keep it on the dry side through winter.
This agave rarely needs any 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.
Cover it with frost cloth or a sheet, not plastic, draped all the way to the ground. Put it on in the evening and take it off once the morning warms. Plants in pots can move to a sheltered spot by the house.
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.
How big does Agave guadalajarana get?
It usually grows about 1 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, wider than it is tall. Some plants stay closer to a foot across, so it fits a pot or the front of a bed.
How fast does it grow?
It is a slow grower. If you want a bigger look right away, start with the larger container size.
Does it need shade in Phoenix?
It grows in full sun or light shade. A spot with sun most of the day works, and light afternoon shade is fine.
How often should I water it?
Water deeply, then let the soil dry out before watering again. About every 2 weeks in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall is plenty, with little or none in winter.
How cold can it take?
Published limits run from about 15°F to 30°F, and most put it near 25°F. On nights forecast below the mid 20s, cover it with frost cloth to the ground and keep the soil dry.
Does it make pups?
It usually grows as a single rosette and makes few pups, if any. Any pups tend to sit tight against the mother plant, so wear thick gloves to remove them.
Does it bloom?
Blooms are rare on this agave. When it does flower, it sends up a tall stalk of yellow flowers in summer, and that rosette then dies.
Are the teeth sharp?
Yes. The leaf edges carry large teeth and each leaf ends in a sharp tip spine. Keep it back from walks and play areas, and wear thick gloves when you handle it.
Can I grow it in a pot?
Yes. It is a good container agave because it stays compact and rarely pups. Use a fast-draining mix and a pot with a drainage hole, and water less in winter.
Is it poisonous to pets?
Agave sap can irritate a pet's mouth and skin if chewed and can upset the stomach. The spines can also poke, so keep pets from chewing on it.
Agave guadalajarana for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Agave guadalajarana comes from rocky, grassy oak slopes near Guadalajara in western Mexico. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, including size, sun, water, cold, pups, blooming and the best spots for its wide blue-gray leaves.
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.
How big does Agave guadalajarana get?
It usually grows about 1 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. It is a slow grower and mostly stays a single rosette.
Does Agave guadalajarana need shade in Phoenix?
It grows in full sun or light shade. Sun most of the day suits it, and light afternoon shade is fine in a Valley yard.
How cold hardy is Agave guadalajarana?
Most published limits put it near 25°F, with a range of about 15°F to 30°F. Cover it with frost cloth on hard freeze nights and keep the soil dry in winter.
How do you water Agave guadalajarana?
Water deeply, then let the soil dry before the next drink. Every 2 weeks in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall is plenty.
How far apart do you plant Agave guadalajarana?
Plant a tight group about 2 to 3 feet apart, center to center, or about 3 to 4 feet apart for a more open look. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your bed.
Growing Agave guadalajarana in a pot
It stays compact and rarely makes pups, so it suits a large patio pot. Use a porous, fast-draining mix and a pot with a drainage hole.
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