Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Dragon Toes Agave
Dragon Toes Agave is a small agave with broad, chunky, upward-cupped blue leaves edged in reddish teeth. It grows slowly to about 1 to 2 feet tall and wide, which makes it a good long-term pot plant. It needs little water once rooted. Use it in a pot, a bed or a small rock garden.
Best for: long-term patio pots, small beds and borders, and rock gardens.
It grows slowly to about 1 to 2 feet tall and wide, so it lives in the same pot for years. Check pots more often in extreme heat.
The broad, upward-cupped blue leaves and reddish teeth give a small bed a bold accent. Pups can slowly widen it into a clump.
It suits a rock or succulent garden with soil that drains well. It needs little water once rooted.
In the Valley, morning sun with afternoon shade suits it best, away from hot west walls. It is tender below about 25 to 30°F, so cover it on frost nights.
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.
Water deeply, then let the soil dry out fully before the next watering. Check pots more often in extreme heat. Cut back a lot by October and water only sparingly in winter.
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.
How big does Dragon Toes Agave get?
It grows slowly to about 1 to 2 feet tall and 1 to 3 feet wide. That small size suits a pot, a small bed or a rock garden.
Does it need shade in Phoenix?
Morning sun with afternoon shade suits it best in the Valley. Keep it off hot west walls and away from reflected summer heat.
How often should I water it?
Water deeply, then let the soil dry out fully. Check pots more often in extreme heat, and water much less in winter.
How cold can it take?
It is tender below about 25 to 30°F. Cover it with frost cloth to the ground on frost nights, or move a potted plant under a patio cover.
Does it make pups?
It can make a few pups over time that widen it into a small clump, though some plants stay single. Leave the pups to fill in, or cut them free and replant them.
Does it have spines?
Yes. Reddish brown teeth line the leaf edges and each leaf ends in a dark tip spine. Wear gloves when you handle it.
Can I grow it in a pot?
Yes, its small size and slow growth make it a good long-term pot plant. Use a fast-draining mix and a pot with a drainage hole.
Does the sap irritate skin?
Yes, the sap can irritate skin and eyes. Wear gloves and eye protection when you cut it, and wash off any sap with soap and water.
Does it bloom?
It blooms rarely and only once, after many years, on a tall spike of greenish-yellow flowers. That rosette then dies, so plan to replace it or let a pup take its place.
When is the best time to plant Dragon Toes 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. Keep pets from chewing on it.
Dragon Toes Agave for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Dragon Toes Agave, Agave pygmaea 'Dragon Toes', is a small agave picked for its chunky blue leaves and red teeth. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, including size, sun and shade, water, frost, pups 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.
How big does Dragon Toes Agave get?
It grows about 1 to 2 feet tall and 1 to 3 feet wide. It grows slowly, so it stays small for years.
Does Dragon Toes Agave need shade in Phoenix?
Morning sun with afternoon shade suits it best in the Valley. Keep it away from hot west walls and reflected summer heat.
Can Dragon Toes Agave grow in a pot?
Yes. Its small size and slow growth make it a good long-term container plant. Check pots more often in extreme heat.
Is Dragon Toes Agave cold hardy?
It is tender below about 25 to 30°F. Cover it on frost nights or keep it in a pot you can move under cover.
How often do you water Dragon Toes Agave?
Water deeply, then let the soil dry fully. Water much less in winter. Wet soil can rot it.
Does Dragon Toes Agave make pups?
It can make a few pups over time and slowly form a small clump, though some plants stay single. Leave the pups to fill in, or cut them free and replant them.
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