Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Artichoke Agave
Artichoke Agave is a form of Parry's agave with short, wide, silver-blue leaves packed into a dense, symmetrical rosette that looks like an artichoke. It grows about 2 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide and fills in with pups over time. It suits containers, rock gardens and small desert beds. Once rooted it needs very little water.
Best for: containers and small spaces, rock and desert gardens, and groups with other desert plants.
At about 2 to 3 feet tall, it fits a large pot or a small bed. Its dense, symmetrical shape makes it one of the most ornamental agaves around.
The short, wide silver-blue leaves stand out against gravel and boulders. It needs little to no water once rooted.
It makes many pups over time and can form a colony. Plant them about 3 to 4 feet apart, center to center, and let pups fill the gaps.
Each leaf has a stout tip spine about 1.5 inches long and reddish black teeth, so keep it back from walks. Soil that stays wet can rot it.
- 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.
Once rooted it needs little to no extra water. In a dry summer, a deep soak every 2 to 3 weeks is plenty. Cut back by October and let the soil dry fully 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.
Arizona growers rate it from about 10°F to 25°F. On a hard freeze night, cover it with frost cloth that reaches the ground and take it off in the morning. Keep the soil dry in winter.
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.
What is the difference between Artichoke Agave and Parry's agave?
Artichoke Agave is a variety of Parry's agave. Its leaves are shorter and wider and pack into a tighter rosette, which is where the artichoke look comes from.
How big does Artichoke Agave get?
It grows slowly to about 2 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide. Give it that much room, plus space to keep the spines back from walks.
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 make pups?
Yes, many. Over time it can form a large colony. Cut pups off and let them dry before you replant them, or pull them to keep one rosette.
Can it take full sun in Phoenix?
Yes, it grows in full sun and also takes light shade. Plant it in a sunny rock or desert bed.
How often should I water it?
It needs very little water once rooted. Let the soil dry fully between waterings and keep it dry in winter.
How cold can it take?
Arizona growers list it from about 10°F to 25°F. On a hard freeze night, cover it with frost cloth that reaches the ground.
Does it have sharp spines?
Yes. Each leaf ends in a stout tip spine about 1.5 inches long, with reddish black teeth on the edges. Keep it back from walks and wear heavy gloves.
Does it bloom?
Yes, once, after many years, on a tall branching stalk 12 to 20 feet high with yellow flowers. The mother plant then dies, so cut it out and let a pup take its place.
Can snout weevils attack it?
Yes. Watch for wilting leaves and a plant that rocks loose. Keep the soil on the dry side and remove an infested plant quickly.
When is the best time to plant Artichoke Agave?
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, and the teeth can scratch. Keep pets from chewing on it.
Artichoke Agave for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Artichoke Agave, Agave parryi var. truncata, is a form of Parry's agave from the high grasslands of Durango and Zacatecas, Mexico. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, including size, spacing, sun, water, cold, pups, teeth and how it compares to Parry's agave.
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Artichoke Agave vs Parry's agave
Artichoke Agave is a variety of Parry's agave with shorter, wider leaves in a tighter, more symmetrical rosette. Both are slow, tough agaves with sharp tip spines.
How big does Artichoke Agave get?
It grows about 2 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide. It grows slowly and fills in with pups over time.
How far apart do you plant Artichoke Agave?
Plant them about 3 to 4 feet apart, center to center, and pups will fill the gaps as it forms a colony.
Is Artichoke Agave cold hardy in Arizona?
Arizona growers list it from about 10°F to 25°F. Cover it with frost cloth on a hard freeze night and keep the soil dry in winter.
How often do you water Artichoke Agave?
It needs very little water once rooted, and soil that stays wet can rot it. Let the soil dry fully between soaks.
Can Artichoke Agave grow in a pot?
Yes. It suits containers and small spaces. Use a fast-draining mix and pull pups to keep one rosette in the pot.
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