Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Butterfingers Agave
Butterfingers Agave is a variegated form of Agave salmiana, with wide, glossy dark green leaves banded in creamy yellow along the edges. It grows fast into a big, upright rosette about 3 to 5 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide. One plant makes a bold focal point in a large bed or a desert garden with room to spread. Once rooted it gets by on low water.
Best for: a bold focal plant in a large bed, desert gardens with room to spread, and spots with filtered or afternoon shade away from paths.
One plant grows into a big, upright rosette of glossy green and yellow leaves. Set it where it can be seen from across the yard, with room for it to reach 4 to 8 feet wide.
Salmiana agaves do best in Phoenix with partial sun or filtered shade under a high canopy. Keep it out of strong western afternoon sun.
It grows fast and gets by on low water once rooted. A soak about every 2 to 3 weeks in summer keeps it growing well.
It gets too big for small yards and narrow beds. The leaves carry large teeth and a stout tip spine, so keep it well back from paths, and damp soil can rot it.
- Tight group6 ft apart, center to center
- Open planting12 ft apart, center to center
Give it partial sun or filtered shade under a high canopy. Keep it out of strong western afternoon sun, which stunts salmiana agaves in Phoenix.
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.
Water about every 2 to 3 weeks in summer for the best growth, and let the soil dry between soaks. Keep it dry in winter.
The snout weevil lays eggs in the base of salmiana agaves, and damp soil can rot the roots. If it wilts and rocks loose, remove the plant and the grubs in the soil.
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 Butterfingers Agave get?
It grows about 3 to 5 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide, and it grows fast. Give it plenty of room and keep it away from walks and small beds.
Does Butterfingers need shade in Phoenix?
Yes, some. Salmiana agaves do best in the Valley with partial sun or filtered shade, and they do not handle strong western afternoon sun. Plant it on the east side or under a high tree canopy.
How is Butterfingers different from Green Giant agave?
Both are forms of Agave salmiana. Butterfingers has creamy yellow bands along the leaf edges, while Green Giant is solid dark green.
How often should I water it?
Once rooted, water about every 2 to 3 weeks in summer for best growth. Let the soil dry between soaks and keep it dry in winter.
How cold hardy is Butterfingers Agave?
Growers list it from about 15°F to 25°F. On colder nights, cover it with frost cloth that reaches the ground and remove it in the morning.
Does it have spines?
Yes. The leaves have large teeth along the edges and a stout tip spine. Plant it well back from paths, and clip the tip spines if people pass close by.
Does Butterfingers die after it blooms?
Yes. After many years it sends up a tall stalk of yellow flowers, and then that rosette dies. Hummingbirds come to the flowers while they are open.
Is it poisonous to pets?
Agaves are mildly poisonous if chewed. The sap can irritate a pet's mouth and skin and upset the stomach, so keep pets from chewing on it.
Why is my agave collapsing?
Damp, poorly drained soil can rot it, and the agave snout weevil lays eggs in the base of salmiana agaves. Remove a plant that wilts and rocks loose, along with the grubs in the soil.
Butterfingers Agave for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Butterfingers is a variegated selection of Agave salmiana, the big pulque agave of central Mexico. Its broad, glossy green leaves carry wide creamy yellow edges. Below: size, sun and shade in Phoenix, water, cold, spines 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 Butterfingers Agave?
Butterfingers is a variegated form of Agave salmiana, the pulque agave of central Mexico. Its wide, glossy dark green leaves are edged in creamy yellow.
How big does Butterfingers Agave get?
It grows fast to about 3 to 5 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide. It needs room, so it suits large beds rather than small yards.
Does Butterfingers Agave need shade in Arizona?
Salmiana agaves do best in Phoenix with partial sun or filtered shade and do not handle strong western afternoon sun. Give it a spot with afternoon shade.
Butterfingers vs Green Giant agave
Both plants are forms of Agave salmiana. Butterfingers has yellow-edged leaves, and Green Giant is solid dark green.
Watering Butterfingers Agave
Once rooted, water about every 2 to 3 weeks in summer for the best growth. Keep it dry in winter.
Is Butterfingers Agave cold hardy?
It is listed from about 15°F to 25°F. Cover it with frost cloth that reaches the ground on the coldest nights.
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.