Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Black and Blue Agave
Black and Blue Agave is a compact form of Agave titanota with thick, broad, blue-gray leaves edged in bold black teeth. It stays small, about 1 to 2 feet tall, so it fits a patio pot, a small bed or a rock garden. It grows slowly into a tidy rosette and needs little water once rooted. It looks at home planted with other succulents and cacti.
Best for: patio pots, small beds and rock gardens where its blue-gray leaves and black teeth can be seen up close.
At about 1 to 2 feet tall, it fits a patio pot well. Use a pot with a drainage hole and a gritty, fast-draining mix, and let the mix dry between waterings.
Its blue-gray leaves and black teeth stand out among boulders and gravel. Plant it with other succulents and cacti, about 12 to 18 inches apart for a group.
It grows slowly and stays compact, so it suits a small bed by an entry or a side yard. Set it where you can see the leaf color up close, but back from the walkway.
Soggy soil can rot it, so plant it where water drains away fast. It is rated to about 25°F, so cover it on hard freeze nights. The black teeth and tip spine are sharp, so keep it back from walks and pools.
- Tight group12 in apart, center to center
- Looser group18 in apart, center to center
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 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. Keep it dry in winter.
It is rated to about 25°F. On hard freeze nights, drape frost cloth to the ground and take it off in the morning. Potted plants can move to a sheltered spot by the house.
Most agaves need no fertilizer. If you feed it, use a light balanced fertilizer in spring or early summer, never on a new transplant and never in fall or winter. It does not need any pruning.
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 Black and Blue Agave?
It is a selection of Agave titanota, an agave from Oaxaca, Mexico. It has thick, broad, blue-gray leaves edged with prominent black teeth.
How is it different from plain Agave titanota and White Ice?
All three are forms of the same species. Plain Agave titanota has pale green leaves with a chalky white cast, and White Ice has pale gray-white leaves. Black and Blue stands out for its blue color and dark teeth.
How big does Black and Blue Agave get?
It grows about 1 to 2 feet tall and 1 to 3 feet wide. It grows slowly, so it stays a good size for a pot or a small bed for years.
Does it need full sun or shade in Phoenix?
It grows well in full sun. In the low desert, Agave titanota also does well in light shade, so a spot with some afternoon shade works too.
How often should I water it?
Once rooted it needs little water. Water deeply about every 2 weeks in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall, and let the soil dry out between soaks. Keep it dry in winter.
How cold hardy is it?
Agave titanota is hardy to at least 25°F. On nights colder than that, drape frost cloth or a sheet to the ground, not plastic, and take it off in the morning.
Does it make pups?
Agave titanota usually grows as a single rosette and only rarely makes a few pups. If a pup appears, cut it free and let it dry for several days before you replant it.
Does Black and Blue Agave bloom?
Each rosette blooms only once, after many years. It sends up a tall stalk of yellow flowers, and then that rosette dies. Plan to replace it, since it seldom leaves pups behind.
Can I grow it in a pot?
Yes, it does well in a container. Use a pot with a drainage hole and a gritty, fast-draining mix. Pots dry out faster than the ground, so check the mix more often in summer.
Are the teeth sharp?
Yes. The leaf edges carry black teeth and each leaf ends in a sharp tip spine. Keep it back from walks, patios and pools, or snip off the tips, which do not grow back.
Is it poisonous to pets?
Agave sap can irritate a pet's mouth and skin and upset the stomach if chewed, though it is rarely serious. The spines can also poke. Keep pets from chewing on it.
Why is my agave soft or mushy?
Too much water or soil that stays wet is the common cause, since it rots the roots and base. Overwatered agaves also draw snout weevils. Cut back on water and make sure the soil drains.
Black and Blue Agave for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Black and Blue Agave is a compact selection of Agave titanota, grown for its blue-gray color and dark teeth. It stays small enough for a pot or a tight spot. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, from size and sun to water, cold and blooming.
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.
What is Black and Blue Agave?
Black and Blue Agave is a compact selection of Agave titanota, an agave from Oaxaca, Mexico. Its thick, broad leaves are blue-gray, and the edges carry prominent black teeth. It grows slowly into a tidy rosette.
Black and Blue Agave vs Agave titanota
Both are the same species. The plain form has pale green leaves with a chalky white cast. Black and Blue has blue-gray leaves and dark teeth, and it stays about 1 to 2 feet tall.
How big does Black and Blue Agave get?
It grows about 1 to 2 feet tall and 1 to 3 feet wide. It grows slowly, so it fits a pot or a small bed for years. For a group, plant them about 12 to 18 inches apart.
Sun and water for Black and Blue Agave in Phoenix
It grows well in full sun, and light afternoon shade also works in the low desert. Once rooted, water deeply about every 2 weeks in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall. Keep it dry in winter.
Is Black and Blue Agave cold hardy?
Agave titanota is hardy to at least 25°F. On colder nights, drape frost cloth to the ground and take it off in the morning. Potted plants can move to a sheltered spot by the house.
Black and Blue Agave in pots
It does well in a container. Use a pot with a drainage hole and a gritty, fast-draining mix. Pots dry out faster than the ground, so check the mix more often in summer.
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