Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Desert Agave
Desert Agave is a tough native agave of the Arizona and California deserts, with thick gray-green to blue-gray leaves. It grows about 2 feet tall and slowly pups into a clump 4 to 6 feet wide. It takes full sun and reflected heat, and once rooted it needs little or no extra water. It fits hot, dry desert gardens, boulder plantings and native beds.
Best for: hot, dry desert gardens, plantings among large boulders, native and cactus gardens, and open spots in full sun or reflected heat set back from paths. A slow native agave that pups into a gray-green clump.
It takes full sun and reflected heat, so it suits hot, open beds and spots near block walls or gravel. Once rooted it gets by on little or no extra water.
Mix it in with large boulders or plant it in a low water cactus and succulent garden. Over time its pups form a clump of gray-green rosettes 4 to 6 feet wide.
It grows wild in the Sonoran and Mojave deserts, including Arizona. Its yellow flowers draw hummingbirds, bats and insects when a rosette blooms.
Heavy soil or spots that stay wet can rot it, so plant it where water drains fast. The leaves have sharp teeth and a stiff tip spine, so keep it away from walks, play areas and the pool.
- Group planting2 ft apart
- Planted with more room3 ft apart
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.
Once rooted it needs little or no extra water. In a long dry summer, give it an occasional deep soak. Leave it dry in winter.
Growers rate it from about 5°F to 15°F, below a normal Valley winter. Keep the soil dry in winter, since cold, wet soil is when rot sets in.
Most plants make many pups and form wide clumps, though some forms make only a few. Cut them off with a clean knife, let the cut dry for several days, then plant them.
Most agaves need no fertilizer. If you feed, use a light balanced fertilizer in spring or early summer, never on a new transplant and never in fall or winter. No pruning is needed.
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.
Is Desert Agave native to Arizona?
Yes. It grows wild in the deserts of Arizona, southern California and northern Baja California. It is found on rocky slopes, plains and washes up to about 5,000 feet.
How big does Desert Agave get?
Each rosette grows slowly to about 2 feet tall, and most plants pup into a clump 4 to 6 feet wide over time. Give it that much room in the bed.
Can Desert Agave take reflected heat?
Yes. It wants full sun and takes reflected heat. It is one of the most desert adapted agaves, and it is at home in hot, low desert yards.
How often should I water Desert Agave?
Water it to get it rooted, then it needs little or no extra water. An occasional deep soak in summer is all it takes. Too much water does more harm than too little.
Does Desert Agave make pups?
Most plants make many pups and form a clump. One form, the simplex type, stays mostly single. Pups can be cut free, left to dry a few days, then planted.
When does Desert Agave bloom?
A rosette blooms once, after about 10 to 20 years. It sends up a branched stalk about 10 feet tall with bright yellow flowers, from about May into July. Leave the stalk up while it flowers, then cut it down once it dries.
Does Desert Agave die after it blooms?
The rosette that blooms dies after it sets seed, but the pups around it keep growing, so a clump carries on. Cut out the dead rosette once it dries.
Do birds and bats visit Desert Agave flowers?
Yes, the yellow flowers draw hummingbirds, bats and insects when a rosette blooms. Leave the stalk standing through the bloom so they can feed.
How cold can Desert Agave take?
Cold hardiness is listed from about 15°F down to 5°F. Cold, wet soil is a bigger risk than cold air, so keep winter watering to a minimum.
Does Desert Agave have sharp spines?
Yes. The leaf edges have sharp teeth and each leaf ends in a stiff spine. Plant it well back from walks and play areas.
What soil does Desert Agave need?
It grows in almost any soil that drains well, and does best in gravelly or sandy soil. Heavy soil that stays wet can rot it. Dig through any caliche so the hole drains.
Can snout weevils get Desert Agave?
Yes, like many agaves it can be attacked by the agave snout weevil. Watch for wilting leaves and a plant that rocks loose. Well-drained soil and little water help most.
Desert Agave for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Desert Agave is a native agave of the Sonoran and Mojave deserts, including Arizona. It is one of the most drought tolerant agaves. Below is what to expect from it in a Valley yard, from size, sun and water to cold, pups 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.
Is Desert Agave native to Arizona?
Yes. It is native to the deserts of Arizona, southern California and northern Baja California. It grows on rocky slopes, plains and washes from low desert up to about 5,000 feet.
Does Desert Agave take full sun and reflected heat in Phoenix?
It wants full sun and takes reflected heat. It is one of the most desert adapted agaves. That makes it a good fit for hot, open Valley beds.
How big does Desert Agave get?
Each rosette grows about 2 feet tall. Most plants pup into a clump 4 to 6 feet wide over the years. Leave room for the clump to spread.
How much water does Desert Agave need?
Water it until it is rooted. After that it needs little or no extra water in the Valley. Gravelly, fast-draining soil matters more than a watering schedule.
When does Desert Agave bloom?
A rosette blooms once, after about 10 to 20 years, on a stalk about 10 feet tall. The bright yellow flowers open from about May into July. That rosette dies, and its pups carry on.
Is Desert Agave cold hardy?
Cold hardiness is listed from about 15°F down to 5°F. It grows wild in the low desert, so it is at home in Valley yards.
How was Desert Agave used?
Native peoples roasted the hearts and flower stalks for food. The leaf fibers were made into rope and clothing.
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.