Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Murphey's Agave
Murphey's Agave is the agave the Hohokam grew for food and fiber in central Arizona, and it still grows at their old village sites. It is a medium agave with blue-green to gray-green leaves marked with pale bands, about 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. It handles full sun and extreme heat on little water. Use it as an accent in a desert or native garden, where it fills in with pups over time.
Best for: desert and native gardens, full sun beds on the south or west side, and accent plantings. It is a medium Arizona agave that fills in with pups over time.
It is native to central Arizona and was farmed by the Hohokam. It fits a desert landscape or xeriscape built around plants from here, and it brings a bit of local history with it.
It tolerates extreme heat and full sun with very little water. A bed on the south or west side of the house suits it.
At about 3 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, it makes a clear accent without taking over. The blue-green leaves carry pale bands left from where the leaves pressed together.
Soil that stays wet can rot it, so plant it where water drains away. The leaves have teeth on the edges and a sharp tip, so keep it back from walks, patios and play areas.
- Tight group2 ft apart
- Looser group3 ft apart
Wait about 1 to 2 weeks after planting before you water, up to a month in cool weather. Then water about every other week while nights are above 60°F, and skip cool weeks unless it has been dry for weeks.
Once rooted, water deeply every 10 to 14 days 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 pups at the base, and the flower stalk grows small plantlets. You can pull and replant either one, but let pups dry for several days first.
It rarely needs any fertilizer. If you feed it, use a light balanced fertilizer in spring or early summer, never on a new plant and never in fall or winter.
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.
Is Murphey's Agave native to Arizona?
Yes. It grows in central Arizona and south into Sonora, Mexico. Its wild stands are tied to old Hohokam village and farm sites.
Why is it called Hohokam agave?
The Hohokam grew it for food and fiber in central and southern Arizona. Plants still grow at their old farm sites, centuries after the farms were left.
How big does Murphey's Agave get?
It grows about 3 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. It fills in over time with pups around the base.
Can it take full sun and reflected heat?
Yes. It tolerates extreme heat and full sun with very little water. South and west-facing beds suit it.
How often should I water it?
Once it is rooted, a deep soak every 10 to 14 days in summer is plenty. Water every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall, and little or none in winter.
How cold can Murphey's Agave take?
It is rated from about 20°F down to 10°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, it makes pups at the base and fills in over time. When it blooms, the flower stalk also grows many small plantlets you can replant.
Does Murphey's Agave bloom?
It blooms once, then that rosette dies. A tall branched stalk, up to about 15 feet, carries pale greenish-yellow flowers. The pups and stalk plantlets carry on.
Does it have sharp spines?
The leaf edges have small, well-spaced teeth, and the leaves end in a sharp tip. Plant it back from walks and play areas, or snip off the tips.
Is Murphey's Agave poisonous to dogs or cats?
Agave is mildly poisonous if chewed. The sap can irritate a pet's mouth and skin, and the leaf tips can poke. Keep pets from chewing on it.
What is the difference between Murphey's and Toothless Murphey's Agave?
Toothless is a selection of Murphey's agave with no teeth on the leaf edges. This page is the regular form, which has small teeth along the edges.
Murphey's Agave for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Murphey's Agave, also called Hohokam agave, is tied to the Hohokam people, who farmed it in central and southern Arizona. It is a medium agave that handles full sun and heat. Below is what to expect from it in a Valley yard, from size, sun, water and cold to pups, blooming and its history.
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.
Is Murphey's Agave an Arizona native?
Yes. It grows in central Arizona and south into Sonora, Mexico, mostly at old Hohokam sites. That makes it a good fit for a native or desert garden in the Valley.
What is Hohokam agave?
Hohokam agave is another name for Murphey's agave. The Hohokam farmed it for food and fiber in central and southern Arizona. Plants still grow at their old farm sites.
How big does Murphey's Agave get?
It grows about 3 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, and fills in with pups over time. At the end of its life, a branched flower stalk rises up to about 15 feet.
Can Murphey's Agave take full sun in Phoenix?
Yes. It tolerates extreme heat and full sun with very little water. South and west-facing beds suit it.
How often do you water Murphey's Agave?
Once rooted, a deep soak every 10 to 14 days in summer is plenty. Water every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall, and little or none in winter. Plant it in soil that drains well.
How far apart do you plant Murphey's Agave?
For a group or border, plant about 2 to 3 feet apart, center to center. Each plant reaches about 2 to 3 feet across. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your bed.
Does Murphey's Agave make pups?
Yes. It makes pups at the base, and its flower stalk makes many small plantlets. Both can be replanted to keep the plant going after the main rosette blooms.
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.