Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Havard's Century Plant
Havard's Century Plant is a medium-sized agave from the rocky grasslands of west Texas and northern Mexico. Its broad silver-gray leaves are edged with sharp, curved dark teeth and a stout tip spine, set in a tight rosette. It grows about 2 to 3 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. It is one of the most cold hardy agaves and needs little water.
Best for: beds and borders, large pots on a patio, and accents where a bold silver-gray rosette stands out.
The broad silver-gray leaves and dark teeth stand out in a bed or border. Plant them about 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center, so each rosette has room.
At about 2 to 3 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide, it works in a large pot on a patio. Use soil that drains very well.
It needs little water and is one of the most cold hardy agaves. Plant it where the soil drains very well.
In the low desert it wants some shade in summer. The sharp curved teeth and stout tip spine mean it needs room from paths and play areas.
- Closer group4 ft apart
- Looser group6 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. Light shade cloth for the first few weeks helps it settle in.
It needs only occasional water in summer and very little the rest of the year. Plant it where the soil drains very well.
It is hardy to about -20°F, far below a Valley winter. Keep the soil dry in winter, since cold, wet soil is when rot sets in.
It makes only a few pups and does not form large colonies. It blooms once in summer after many years, then the rosette dies.
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.
How cold hardy is Havard's Century Plant?
It is one of the most cold hardy agaves. Most growers list it hardy to about -20°F, and a few list -5°F. Either way, that is far colder than a Valley winter, so it needs no frost cover. Keep the soil dry in winter.
Does it need shade in Phoenix?
In the low desert it prefers some light shade in summer, so plant it where it gets relief from the hottest afternoon sun. At higher elevations it takes full sun.
How big does it get?
It grows about 2 to 3 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide in a tight rosette. Leave that much room around it when you plant.
How far apart should I plant it?
Plant them about 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center, so each rosette has room. The Spacing tab shows both distances.
How fast does it grow?
It grows slowly, and some growers call it moderate. Buy a larger size if you want a full rosette sooner.
How often should I water it?
Water it only now and then in summer, and very little the rest of the year. Plant it in soil that drains very well so water never sits around the roots.
Does it make pups?
It makes a pup only now and then. It grows mostly as a single rosette and does not form large colonies, so there is little to thin out.
Does it bloom?
Yes, but only once, in summer after many years. A branched stalk about 12 feet tall carries greenish-yellow flowers with a reddish tinge, and then the rosette dies. Remove the dead rosette once the stalk dries.
Does it have sharp teeth?
Yes. The leaf edges carry sharp, curved dark teeth and each leaf ends in a stout tip spine. Keep it back from paths and wear heavy gloves.
Where is it from?
It grows wild on rocky grasslands and slopes in the Big Bend area of west Texas and in northern Mexico, at about 4,000 to 6,000 feet. It is one of the most cold hardy agaves.
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, and the teeth can scratch. Keep pets from chewing on it.
Havard's Century Plant for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Havard's Century Plant, Agave havardiana, is a silver-gray agave from west Texas and northern Mexico with bold dark teeth. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, including sun and shade, size, spacing, water, 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.
Does Havard's Century Plant need shade in Phoenix?
In the low desert it prefers some light shade in summer, so plant it where it gets relief from the hottest afternoon sun. At higher elevations it takes full sun.
How cold hardy is Agave havardiana?
It is one of the most cold hardy agaves. Most growers list it hardy to about -20°F, far colder than any Valley winter, so it needs no frost cover here.
How far apart do you plant Havard's Century Plant?
Plant them about 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center, so each rosette has room. Use 4 feet for a closer group and 6 feet for a looser one.
How big does Havard's Century Plant get?
It grows about 2 to 3 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. Growth is slow, and it forms a tight silver-gray rosette.
How often do you water Havard's Century Plant?
It needs very little water. Water now and then in summer and keep it drier the rest of the year, in soil that drains very well.
Can Havard's Century Plant grow in a pot?
Yes. Its size suits a large pot on a patio. Use soil that drains very well.
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