Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Agave ocahui
Agave ocahui is a small Sonoran agave that forms a tight, symmetrical rosette of narrow, stiff, dark green leaves. The leaf edges are smooth, with no teeth. It stays about 1.5 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, and it takes harsh reflected heat. Use it as a small accent in a desert bed, a patio pot or a narrow strip.
Best for: small accents in desert beds, patio pots, and narrow strips and medians.
It handles harsh reflected heat in full sun. A bed by a hot wall, drive or street strip suits it.
It stays about 2 feet across and makes no pups, so it holds a neat shape in a pot. Use soil that drains well and water sparingly.
The narrow, stiff leaves form a tight, even rosette. Plant them about 3 to 4 feet apart, center to center, for a group.
Soil that stays wet can rot the base and roots. Each leaf ends in a sharp tip spine, so keep it back from paths.
- Tight group3 ft apart, center to center
- Looser group4 ft apart, center to center
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. Then water about every other week while nights stay above 60°F. A light shade cloth for the first few weeks helps it settle in.
Water deeply about every 10 to 14 days in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall. Cut back by October and let winter rain do the rest. Always let the soil dry between waterings.
Most agaves need no fertilizer. If you feed, use a light balanced fertilizer in spring or early summer and water it in, never on a new transplant and never in fall or winter. No pruning is needed.
A normal Valley winter does not hurt it. Keep the soil dry in winter, since cold, wet soil is when rot sets in.
Watch for wilting or wrinkled leaves and a plant that rocks loose. Overwatered agaves draw the beetle, so keep the soil on the dry side. Remove an infested plant and the grubs in the soil 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.
How big does Agave ocahui get?
It grows about 1.5 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, a small agave. It fits a patio pot, a narrow strip or the front of a bed.
Can it take reflected heat?
Yes. It takes harsh reflected heat and full sun, which makes it a good pick for hot beds by walls, drives and street strips.
How far apart should I plant it?
Plant them about 3 to 4 feet apart, center to center. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your bed.
Does it have teeth?
The leaf edges are smooth with no teeth, but each leaf ends in a sharp tip spine. Keep it back from paths, or snip off the tips.
Does it make pups?
No, it grows as a single rosette and does not make pups, so there is nothing to thin out.
How often should I water it?
Water it sparingly, with a deep soak now and then in summer and little in winter. Too much water loosens the tight rosette and can rot it.
How fast does it grow?
It grows slowly and stays small and tight for years. Buy a larger size if you want a full rosette sooner.
How cold can it take?
It is hardy to about 10 to 15°F, so a normal Valley winter is fine. Keep the soil dry in winter.
Does it bloom?
Yes, once, after many years, on an unbranched spike 10 to 15 feet tall packed with yellow flowers. The rosette dies after it blooms and makes no pups, so plan to replace it.
Can I grow it in a pot?
Yes. It is a good small agave for patio pots. Use soil that drains well and water sparingly.
When is the best time to plant Agave ocahui?
Spring, March through May, is best, and early summer and early fall also work. In midsummer, shade a new plant for a few weeks. In winter, roots grow slowly, so hold off on water.
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 ocahui for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Agave ocahui is a small agave from the rocky hills of Sonora, Mexico, with narrow, smooth-edged leaves. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, including sun and reflected heat, size, spacing, water, cold, blooming and where a small agave fits.
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.
Can Agave ocahui take reflected heat in Phoenix?
Yes. It takes harsh reflected heat in full sun. It suits hot beds by walls and drives and narrow street strips.
How far apart do you plant Agave ocahui?
Plant them about 3 to 4 feet apart, center to center. Each rosette grows about 2 to 3 feet wide.
How big does Agave ocahui get?
It grows about 1.5 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, slowly forming a tight, symmetrical rosette.
Does Agave ocahui make pups?
No. It grows as one rosette and does not make pups, so there is nothing to pull.
How often do you water Agave ocahui?
Water it sparingly, with a little water in summer to keep it healthy and compact. Soil that stays wet can rot it.
Can Agave ocahui grow in a pot?
Yes. It is a good small agave for patio pots. Use soil that drains well.
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.