Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Butterfly Agave
Butterfly Agave is a petite agave with broad blue-gray leaves in a neat rosette. The leaf edges ruffle where small reddish teeth sit on little bumps, and each leaf ends in a twisted reddish spine. It grows about 1 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. Use it as a blue-gray accent in a rock garden or a large pot in light shade.
Best for: blue-gray accents in small rock gardens, large pots on a patio, and beds under the filtered shade of a small desert tree.
In the Valley it does best in some shade, and the filtered shade of a small desert tree is best. The blue-gray leaves stand out in that light.
At about 1 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, it suits a large pot. A pot also lets you move it under cover on frost nights.
Its ruffled edges and twisted reddish tips show up well among rocks. Plant them about 2 to 3 feet apart, center to center.
Full low desert sun is hard on it, so give it some shade. Frost below about 25°F damages it, and soil that stays wet can rot the roots.
- Tight group2 ft apart, center to center
- Looser group3 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, give it some extra water. Water about every 10 to 14 days in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall, then cut back by October. Let the soil dry between waterings, since wet soil rots the roots.
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.
On frost nights, cover it with frost cloth that reaches the ground and take it off in the morning. A potted plant can move under a patio cover. 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.
Does Butterfly Agave need shade in Phoenix?
Yes, it needs some shade in the low desert. Plant it in the filtered shade of a small desert tree, or where it gets shade in the afternoon.
How big does Butterfly Agave get?
It is a petite agave, about 1 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. That size suits a large pot or a small bed.
How far apart should I plant it?
Plant them about 2 to 3 feet apart, center to center. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your bed.
How often should I water it?
Give it occasional extra water once rooted, a bit more than most agaves in the low desert. Let the soil dry between waterings, since wet soil rots the roots.
How cold can it take?
It is tender below about 25°F. On frost nights, cover it with frost cloth that reaches the ground, or move a potted plant under a patio cover.
Does it make pups?
No, it is a solitary agave with no pups to pull. New plants come from seed or small plantlets on the flower stalk.
Why are the leaf edges ruffled?
The small reddish teeth sit on little bumps along the edge, which gives the margin a ruffled look. Each leaf ends in a twisted reddish spine, so wear gloves.
Does it bloom?
Yes, once, often by about 10 years old, on a stalk 10 to 20 feet tall with pale green flowers tinged red. The rosette then dies and leaves no pups, so plan to replace it.
Can I grow it in a pot?
Yes, it suits a large container. Use a fast-draining mix and move the pot under cover on frost nights.
When is the best time to plant Butterfly 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.
Butterfly Agave for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Butterfly Agave, Agave potatorum, is a petite agave from the mountains of Puebla and Oaxaca, Mexico. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, including shade, size, spacing, water, frost, blooming and pots.
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.
Does Butterfly Agave need shade in Phoenix?
Yes. In the low desert it wants some shade. The filtered shade of a small desert tree is best.
How big does Agave potatorum get?
It grows about 1 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. It is a petite, solitary agave that makes no pups.
How far apart do you plant Butterfly Agave?
Plant them about 2 to 3 feet apart, center to center, so each rosette has room to show its shape.
Is Butterfly Agave cold hardy in the Valley?
It is tender below about 25°F. Cover it with frost cloth on frost nights, or keep it in a pot you can move under cover.
How often do you water Butterfly Agave?
Give it occasional extra water once rooted, and let the soil dry between waterings. Chronically wet soil can rot the roots.
Can Butterfly Agave grow in a pot?
Yes, it suits a large container on a patio. Use a fast-draining mix and a pot with a drainage hole.
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.