Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Furcraea macdougalii
Furcraea macdougalii is a giant rosette succulent with long, stiff, dark green leaves on a stout trunk that can reach 8 feet or more in a garden. Its sword-shaped leaves carry small hooked teeth along the edges. It makes a bold, tree-like accent with low water needs. After many years it sends up a very tall flower stalk covered with plantlets.
Best for: a bold, tree-like focal point and large yards with room for a giant rosette.
Its rosette of long, dark green leaves sits on a stout trunk that can reach 8 feet or more in a garden.
It can spread 6 to 8 feet wide, so give it plenty of space away from paths.
It needs little water once rooted. Let the soil dry between waterings.
It is hardy only to light frost, about 25°F. The leaf edges carry hooked teeth, and the main plant dies after it finally blooms.
- Plant to plant8 ft apart
It needs little water once rooted. Let the soil dry between waterings, and water new plants more often for the first few weeks.
It is rated to about 25°F. Cover young plants with frost cloth on colder nights.
When it finally blooms, the main plant dies and leaves plantlets on the stalk. Pot them up to start new plants.
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 Furcraea macdougalii get?
In a garden it grows about 12 to 20 feet tall on a stout trunk, with a rosette 6 to 8 feet wide. It grows slowly, so plan its spot for the long term.
Does it have spines?
Yes. The leaf edges carry sharp, hooked teeth. Plant it away from paths and play areas.
How often should I water it?
It needs little water once rooted. Let the soil dry between waterings.
Is it cold hardy?
It is rated hardy to about 25°F. Cover young plants with frost cloth on nights colder than that.
Does it bloom?
It blooms only after many years, often 25 to 40 in a garden. The flower stalk rises about 20 feet with creamy white flowers.
What happens after it blooms?
The main plant dies after blooming, but plantlets form on the stalk. Pot them up to start new plants.
Is it an agave?
It is a close relative in the same family, with a trunk and stiffer, greener leaves.
What soil does it need?
Plant it in fast-draining soil. Soggy ground causes rot, so loosen heavy soil and dig through caliche.
Furcraea macdougalii for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Furcraea macdougalii is a giant trunk-forming rosette from Mexico. It gives a yard a bold, tree-like accent on low water. Below are the questions Valley homeowners ask.
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Furcraea macdougalii in Arizona
This giant rosette on a trunk makes a bold accent. It needs low water once rooted.
How big Furcraea macdougalii gets
Its trunk can reach 8 feet or more in a garden, with a rosette 6 to 8 feet wide.
Watering Furcraea macdougalii
Give it little water once rooted and let the soil dry between waterings.
Frost care for Furcraea macdougalii
It is rated hardy to about 25°F. Cover young plants on colder nights.
Furcraea blooms once then dies
After many years it sends up a very tall flower stalk. The main plant dies, leaving plantlets.
Furcraea vs agave
It is a close agave relative with a trunk and stiff, dark green leaves edged with small hooked teeth.
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