Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Electric Blue Agave
Electric Blue Agave is a named form of the century plant, grown for its strong blue leaves. It builds a bold rosette about 4 to 6 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide. It suits rock gardens, cactus gardens and hot, open desert beds. It handles full sun, heat and drought, and needs very little water once rooted.
Best for: rock gardens, cactus and succulent gardens, and hot, sunny desert beds with reflected heat. It is a big blue agave for water-wise yards with room to let it spread.
The blue rosette suits rock gardens and cactus and succulent gardens. Leave room around it so nearby plants stay out of reach of the spined leaves.
It takes full sun, heat and dry spells, and the reflected heat off gravel and paving. Once rooted, a deep soak about every 2 weeks in summer is enough.
At about 4 to 6 feet tall, one plant can anchor a bed or a corner of a desert yard. Give it open ground so the full rosette can show.
Its leaf edges carry sharp spines and each tip is sharp, so it is a poor fit next to walks, patios and pools. Soil that stays wet can rot it.
- Tight group4 ft apart, center to center
- Looser group6 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. After that, water about every other week while nights stay above 60°F.
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.
It makes lots of pups around the base. Pull them to keep one rosette, or cut them free, let the cut dry for several days, and plant them.
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.
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.
What is Electric Blue Agave?
It is a named form of Agave americana, the century plant, with strong blue leaves. It shares the century plant's care: full sun, fast-draining soil and very little water.
How big does Electric Blue Agave get?
It grows about 4 to 6 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide, and pups around the base can widen the clump over time. Check the Spacing tab before you plant.
Does it take full sun and reflected heat?
Yes, it is a full-sun agave that handles heat and drought, including the reflected heat off gravel and paving. It suits a hot bed by a drive, wall or gravel yard.
How often should I water Electric Blue Agave?
Once rooted, give it a deep soak about every 2 weeks in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall. Water little or not at all in winter, and let the soil dry out in between.
How cold can it take?
It is rated to about 15°F. On hard freeze nights, cover it with frost cloth that reaches the ground, and take it off in the morning.
Does it make pups?
Yes. Like other century plants, it makes pups around the base. Cut them off with a sharp, clean knife, let the cut dry for several days, then plant them.
Does Electric Blue Agave bloom?
Yes, once, after about 10 to 25 years. A tall stalk of yellow flowers draws bats, birds and insects, and then that rosette dies, so cut it out and let a pup take its place.
Are the spines sharp?
Yes. The leaf edges carry sharp spines, and each tip ends in a hard point. Keep it back from walks, patios, pools and play areas, or snip off the tip spines.
Can the sap bother my skin?
Yes, century plant sap can cause an itchy rash on skin. Wear long sleeves, gloves and eye protection when you trim it or cut pups.
Is it 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. It is rarely serious, but keep pets from chewing it.
Why is my agave collapsing?
Soft, collapsing leaves usually mean rot from too much water, or the agave snout weevil. The weevil favors century plants. Keep the soil well drained, do not overwater, and remove an infested plant quickly.
Electric Blue Agave for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Electric Blue Agave is a blue-leaved form of Agave americana, the century plant. It brings a strong blue color to rock and cactus gardens. Below is what to expect from it in the Valley, from size, sun and water to pups, cold, blooming and spacing.
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What is Electric Blue Agave?
It is a blue-leaved form of Agave americana, the century plant. It has sharp spines along the leaf edges and a hard tip on each leaf. Care is the same as for the century plant.
How big does Electric Blue Agave get?
It grows about 4 to 6 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide. Pups can widen the clump over the years. Plan the spot for the grown plant.
How far apart do you plant Electric Blue Agave?
For a group, plant about 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center, and give each plant 4 to 8 feet of width to grow into. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your bed.
How often do you water Electric Blue Agave in Phoenix?
Once rooted, water deeply about every 2 weeks in summer. Stretch 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 an agave.
Is Electric Blue Agave good for rock gardens?
Yes, it is used in rock, succulent and cactus gardens. It takes full sun, heat and drought. Plant it in fast-draining soil, and dig through any caliche so the hole drains.
Is Electric Blue Agave cold hardy in the Valley?
It is rated to about 15°F. On hard freeze nights, drape frost cloth, never plastic, to the ground in the evening and uncover it in the morning.
What is the difference between Electric Blue Agave and century plant?
Electric Blue is a named form of the century plant, picked out for its blue leaves. Both need full sun, very little water and room away from foot traffic. Both bloom once, then that rosette dies.
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.