Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Jet Tip Agave
Jet Tip Agave is a small agave with narrow blue-gray leaves, each ending in a long black spine. It grows slowly into a tight clump of rosettes about 1 to 2 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide. It suits small desert beds, rock gardens, raised planters and pots. Give it sun, a little shade from the hot afternoon sun in summer, and very little water.
Best for: small desert beds and rock gardens, raised planters, and pots on a patio or by the entry.
It stays about 1 to 2 feet tall and clumps slowly to 2 to 4 feet wide. It fits small beds, borders and rock gardens where a big agave would crowd things.
Its small size suits pots and raised desert planters. Use a pot with a drainage hole and fast-draining soil, and water only when the soil is dry. Give the pot light shade on summer afternoons.
It takes full sun, but in the low desert it does best with light shade from the western sun on summer afternoons. An east-facing bed works well.
It can be hurt below about 25°F, so cover it on hard freeze nights. Wet soil can rot it. The black tips are very sharp, so keep it off walkways.
- Tight group4 ft apart, center to center
- Looser group6 ft apart, center to center
Set it in dry soil and skip water for about a week or two in warm weather, longer when it is cool. Then give it water about every other week while nights stay warm.
Once 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 takes full sun, but in the low desert light shade from the western sun on summer afternoons helps. An east-facing spot or light tree shade works.
It is rated down to about 25°F. On hard freeze nights, drape frost cloth or a sheet all the way to the ground, not plastic, and uncover it in the morning. Move potted plants next to the house.
It makes many pups at the base. Cut one free with a sharp, clean knife, let the cut dry for several days, then plant it and water lightly.
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 Jet Tip Agave get?
It grows about 1 to 2 feet tall and slowly clumps into a mound of rosettes 2 to 4 feet wide. Leave that much room so the pups can fill in.
Does Jet Tip Agave need afternoon shade in Phoenix?
It takes full sun, but in the low desert it does best with light shade from the western sun on summer afternoons. An east-facing spot or light tree shade works.
How cold hardy is Jet Tip Agave?
Growers rate it to about 25°F, and it can be hurt below that. On hard freeze nights, cover it with frost cloth that reaches the ground and take it off in the morning. Move potted plants next to the house.
How often should I water it?
Once it is rooted, give it a deep soak about every 2 weeks in summer. Stretch that to every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall, with little or none in winter, and let the soil dry out in between.
Does Jet Tip Agave make pups?
Yes. It makes many pups at the base and slowly forms a dense clump. Cut a pup free with a sharp, clean knife and let the cut dry for several days before planting.
Does Jet Tip Agave bloom?
Each rosette blooms once, then dies, usually after 15 years or more. The flower stalk grows about 6 feet tall with reddish to purplish-green flowers. Cut out the dead rosette and let the pups around it carry on.
How sharp are the black spines?
The tips are very sharp. Each leaf ends in a long, stiff black tip, and the edges have small dark teeth. Keep it back from walks, patios, pool edges and play areas, or snip off the tips.
Can the sap irritate skin?
Yes. The sap can cause a painful skin rash. Wear gloves and long sleeves when you cut leaves or pull pups, and wash sap off with soap and water.
Is Jet Tip Agave poisonous to dogs or cats?
The sap can irritate a pet's mouth and skin, and the black tips can poke. Plant it where pets cannot chew on it.
Can I grow Jet Tip Agave in a pot?
Yes, it is well suited to pots. Use a pot with a drainage hole and fast-draining soil, and water only when the soil is dry.
Can snout weevils get Jet Tip Agave?
The agave snout weevil can attack almost any agave. Watch for leaves that wilt or wrinkle and a plant that rocks loose. Plant it in soil that drains well and do not overwater.
Jet Tip Agave for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Jet Tip Agave, also called black-spined agave, is a small clumping agave from southern Mexico. Its narrow blue-gray leaves end in long black spines. Below is what to expect from it in a Valley yard or pot, from size, sun and water to cold, pups, blooming and spacing.
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 Jet Tip Agave get?
It grows about 1 to 2 feet tall. Over time it clumps into a mound of rosettes 2 to 4 feet wide. It grows slowly, so it suits small beds and pots.
Does Jet Tip Agave need shade in Phoenix?
It takes full sun, but in the low desert it does best with light shade from the western sun on summer afternoons. An east-facing bed or light tree shade works well.
Is Jet Tip Agave cold hardy?
It can be hurt below about 25°F. On hard freeze nights, cover it with frost cloth down to the ground and uncover it in the morning. Potted plants can move next to the house.
How often do you water Jet Tip Agave in Arizona?
Once rooted, a deep soak about every 2 weeks in summer is plenty. Stretch it to every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall, with little or none in winter. Always let the soil dry out in between.
How far apart do you plant Jet Tip Agave?
For a group or border, plant about 4 to 6 feet apart center to center. Each clump reaches 2 to 4 feet across, and the Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your bed.
Does Jet Tip Agave make pups or bloom?
It makes many pups and forms a dense clump. Each rosette blooms once, then dies, after 15 years or more. The pups carry the clump on.
What is Jet Tip Agave's Latin name?
It is Agave macroacantha, also called black-spined agave. The name means large spines, for the long black tips on each leaf. It comes from Oaxaca and Puebla in southern Mexico.
Growing Jet Tip Agave in a pot
Its small size suits pots and raised planters. Use a pot with a drainage hole and fast-draining soil. Water only when the soil is dry, and give the pot afternoon shade in summer.
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.