Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Narrow Leaf Agave
Narrow Leaf Agave is a striped agave with stiff, narrow leaves, a blue-green to pale green center and bright creamy white edges. It forms a round, even rosette about 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, then clumps as it branches and pups. It gives a desert bed or a planting of tropical-looking plants a bold, formal accent. Give it filtered sun or afternoon shade, fast-draining soil and little water.
Best for: a formal accent in a desert garden, groups and mass plantings, and large pots in filtered sun or part shade. A striped agave that clumps with age.
Its round, even shape and white-edged leaves read as a formal accent in a desert bed. Plant one alone, or set a few in a group for a bolder look.
Its even, round rosettes look good repeated in a group or a mass planting. Each plant branches and pups with age, so leave room for the clumps to fill in.
It can grow in a large container. Use fast-draining sandy soil and a pot with a drainage hole, and set it back from where people walk.
Intense western afternoon sun is hard on the striped leaves. Soil that stays wet can rot it. The leaf tips are very sharp and stiff, so keep it well away from walks, play areas and the pool.
- Group planting4 ft apart
- Planted with more room6 ft apart
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 rooted, water deeply only now and then in summer, and little or none in winter. Let the soil dry out between soakings.
Give it filtered sun, or full sun with some cover from the intense western afternoon sun. Part shade works well too.
It is rated to about 20 to 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 pups at the base and forms a clump over time. Cut a pup free with a clean knife and let it dry for several days before planting.
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 Narrow Leaf Agave get?
It grows about 3 to 4 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide. With age it can branch, form a short trunk and pup into a wider clump.
Is Narrow Leaf Agave the same as Caribbean agave?
Yes. Narrow Leaf Agave is the white-edged 'Marginata' form of Agave angustifolia, often sold as variegated Caribbean agave.
Does Narrow Leaf Agave need shade in Phoenix?
It does best in filtered sun, or full sun with some cover from the intense western afternoon sun. Part shade works well too.
How often should I water Narrow Leaf Agave?
Once rooted, it needs water only now and then in summer, and little or none in winter. It grows faster with more summer water if the soil drains well.
Does Narrow Leaf Agave make pups?
Yes. It branches and makes pups at the base, forming a dense clump with age. Pups can be cut free, left to dry several days, then planted.
Does Narrow Leaf Agave bloom?
Each rosette blooms once, usually after 10 years or more, on a branched stalk about 8 to 16 feet tall with green to yellow flowers. That rosette dies after it blooms.
What are the little plants on the flower stalk?
The stalk often makes small plantlets, called bulbils, in place of seed. Along with the pups at the base, they carry the plant on after the mother rosette dies.
How cold can Narrow Leaf Agave take?
It is listed as hardy to about 20 to 25°F, with 25°F given for Phoenix. On hard freeze nights, cover it with frost cloth that reaches the ground.
Does Narrow Leaf Agave have sharp spines?
Yes. The leaf edges have small teeth, and each leaf ends in a very sharp, stiff point. Keep it away from walks and pools, or snip off the tips.
Can I grow Narrow Leaf Agave in a pot?
Yes, it can be grown in a large container. Use sandy, fast-draining soil and a pot with a drainage hole, and water only when the soil is dry.
Is Narrow Leaf Agave poisonous to dogs or cats?
Agave sap can irritate a pet's mouth and skin if chewed, and can upset the stomach. The sharp tips can also poke. Keep pets from chewing on it.
Can snout weevils get Narrow Leaf Agave?
Yes, the agave snout weevil attacks many agaves in Phoenix yards. Watch for wilting leaves and a plant that rocks loose. Good drainage and not overwatering help most.
Narrow Leaf Agave for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Narrow Leaf Agave, also called Caribbean agave, is the striped 'Marginata' form of Caribbean agave. Its narrow leaves carry wide creamy white edges. Below is what to expect from it in a Valley yard, from size, sun and water to cold, blooming and pups.
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Narrow Leaf Agave vs Caribbean agave
They are the same plant. Narrow Leaf Agave is the white-edged 'Marginata' form of Agave angustifolia, the Caribbean agave. It is often sold as variegated Caribbean agave.
Does Narrow Leaf Agave need afternoon shade in Phoenix?
It does best in filtered sun to full sun. The striped leaves do better with some cover from intense western afternoon sun. Part shade also works well.
How big does Narrow Leaf Agave get?
It grows about 3 to 4 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide. Over the years it branches and pups into a dense clump, so leave room for it to spread.
How often do you water Narrow Leaf Agave?
Once rooted, water it only now and then in summer, with little or none in winter. More summer water speeds up growth if the soil drains fast. Wet soil can rot it.
Does Narrow Leaf Agave die after it blooms?
Each rosette blooms once, then dies. The branched stalk often grows small plantlets instead of seed. Those and the pups at the base keep the clump going.
Is Narrow Leaf Agave cold hardy in the Valley?
It is listed as hardy to about 20 to 25°F, with 25°F given for Phoenix. On hard freeze nights, cover it with frost cloth to the ground and uncover it in the morning.
Can you grow Narrow Leaf Agave in a pot?
Yes, it can be grown as a container plant. Use sandy, fast-draining soil and a large pot with a drainage hole. Water only when the soil is dry, and less in winter.
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