Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Century Plant
Century Plant is the big blue-green agave of desert yards, grown for its bold rosette of long, wide leaves. It commonly reaches 3 to 8 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet across. It takes full sun and reflected heat, and gets by on very little water once rooted. Give it room in an open bed, on a slope or in a large desert yard where its size can show.
Best for: big open desert yards, slopes and wide beds, and hot, sunny spots with reflected heat. It is a large, slow agave that anchors a lot of ground on very little water.
It grows 6 to 10 feet across, so it suits large desert yards, open beds and slopes. One plant covers a lot of ground on very little water.
It takes full sun and the reflected heat off walls, gravel and paving. Once rooted, a deep soak about every 2 weeks in summer is enough.
The wide rosette of long, spine-tipped, blue-green leaves adds strong form to desert gardens and water-wise yards. It works as the centerpiece of a big bed.
It gets too big for small yards and narrow beds, and its spines are a hazard next to walks, patios and pools. Soggy soil can rot it, and it keeps sending up pups that need pulling.
- Tight group6 ft apart, center to center
- Looser group8 ft apart, center to center
Wait about 1 to 2 weeks after planting before you water, up to a month in cool weather. Then water about every other week while nights are above 60°F, and skip cool weeks unless it has been dry for weeks.
Once it is rooted, water deeply about every 2 weeks in summer, every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall, and little or none in winter. Let the soil dry out between soakings.
Pups come up around the base and can grow into a colony. Pull them as they appear, or cut them free and let the cut dry for several days to a week before planting.
The sap can cause an itchy rash. Wear long sleeves, heavy gloves and eye protection when you cut leaves or pups, and wash off any sap with soap and water.
Snout weevils favor century plants. Watch for leaves that wilt or wrinkle and a plant that rocks loose. Keep the soil well drained, do not overwater, and remove an infested plant 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 a century plant get?
It commonly grows about 3 to 8 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide, and old plants can spread even wider. Check the Spacing tab before you pick a spot.
How fast does a century plant grow?
It grows slowly to moderately, so the plant you buy takes years to reach full size. Plan the spot for the grown plant, not the one you plant.
Does it really take 100 years to bloom?
No, the name comes from an old belief. It usually blooms after about 10 to 25 years, on a stalk 15 to 30 feet tall with yellow flowers, and then that rosette dies. Cut it out and let a pup take its place.
Does anything visit the flowers?
Yes. When it blooms, the flowers draw bats, birds and insects. Flowering is set off by the age of the plant, not by care.
Does a century plant make pups?
Yes, lots of them. Pups come up around the base and can grow into a colony. Pull them as they appear to keep one rosette, or dig them to plant elsewhere.
How do I remove century plant pups?
Cut the connecting root with a sharp, clean knife, or push a shovel down between the pup and the mother. Let the cut dry for several days to a week, then plant it and water lightly.
How often should I water a century plant?
Once it is rooted, a deep soak about every 2 weeks in summer is plenty. Water every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall, and little or none in winter. Let the soil dry out in between.
How cold can a century plant take?
It is rated to about 15 to 20°F, and big plants can get frost damage in the teens. On hard freeze nights, cover it with frost cloth that reaches the ground, and take it off in the morning.
Is a century plant safe near a pool or walkway?
It is best kept well back, since each leaf ends in a long, sharp spine and the edges have teeth. Set it away from walks, patios, pools and play areas, or snip off the spine tips, which do not grow back.
Can century plant sap irritate skin?
Yes, the sap can cause an itchy rash. Wear long sleeves, heavy gloves and eye protection when you cut leaves or pups, and wash off any sap with soap and water.
Is a century plant poisonous to dogs or cats?
It is mildly toxic if chewed. The sap can irritate a pet's mouth and skin and upset the stomach, and the spines can cause injuries. It is rarely serious, but keep pets from chewing on it.
What is killing my century plant?
Soft, collapsing leaves usually point to rot from too much water, or the agave snout weevil. Century plant is one of the agaves this weevil attacks most. Watch for wilting leaves and a plant that rocks loose, and remove an infested plant quickly.
Century Plant for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Century Plant is a large agave with long blue-green leaves in a wide rosette, and a classic of Arizona desert landscapes. It is slow, tough and low water. Below is what to expect from it in the Valley, from size, sun and water to pups, cold, blooming and spacing.
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.
How big does a century plant get in Arizona?
It commonly grows about 3 to 8 feet tall and 6 to 10 feet wide, and old plants can spread wider. The leaves alone can reach several feet long. Plan the spot for the full size, not the size you plant.
How often do you water a century plant in Phoenix?
Once rooted, give it a deep soak about every 2 weeks in summer. Stretch it to every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall, with little or none in winter. Too much water is the common way to lose one.
How far apart do you plant century plants?
For a group, plant about 6 to 8 feet apart, center to center. Each plant can reach 6 to 10 feet across, and pups fill in around the base. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your area.
Does a century plant die after it blooms?
Yes, that rosette dies after it blooms, usually after 10 to 25 years. The flower stalk shoots up 15 to 30 feet with yellow flowers. The pups around the base carry on.
Where should you plant a century plant?
Give it full sun in an open bed, a slope or a large desert yard, in soil that drains fast. Keep it well back from walks, patios and pools because of its sharp leaf spines. If you hit caliche, dig through it so the hole drains.
Is century plant cold hardy in the Valley?
It is rated to about 15 to 20°F, and big plants can take frost damage in the teens. On hard freeze nights, drape frost cloth, never plastic, to the ground and uncover it in the morning.
Do snout weevils attack century plants?
Yes. Century plant is one of the agaves the snout weevil favors, and the grubs feed inside the plant until it rots and collapses. Good drainage and not overwatering are the best defense, and an infested plant should come out quickly.
What is the difference between century plant and variegated century plant?
They are the same species and grow to about the same size. The variegated century plant has creamy yellow edges on its leaves. The plain century plant has solid blue-green leaves.
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