Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Palmer's Agave
Palmer's Agave is a native of the rocky slopes of southern Arizona and northern Mexico. It forms a compact rosette of blue-green leaves edged in reddish teeth, about 3 to 5 feet tall and wide. When it blooms, its tall branched stalk feeds bats and hummingbirds. It takes hard cold and gets by on little water.
Best for: native desert gardens, beds and borders in full sun, and yards planted for bats and hummingbirds.
It grows wild on dry, rocky slopes in southern Arizona and northern Mexico. It fits a native planting with other desert natives in full sun.
The tall bloom stalk is a key nectar source for migrating bats, and hummingbirds visit too. Native bees and woodpeckers use the dried stalks.
The blue-green leaves form a compact rosette about 3 to 5 feet across. Plant them about 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center.
Soil that stays wet can rot it. The leaf edges carry reddish teeth and a sharp tip spine, so keep it back from paths.
- Tight group4 ft apart
- Looser group6 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. Then water about every other week while nights stay above 60°F. A light shade cloth for the first few weeks helps it settle in.
Water deeply about every 10 to 14 days in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall. Cut back by October and let winter rain do the rest. Always let the soil dry between waterings.
Most agaves need no fertilizer. If you feed, use a light balanced fertilizer in spring or early summer and water it in, never on a new transplant and never in fall or winter. No pruning is needed.
It takes cold well below a normal Valley winter, down to about 0°F to 12°F. Keep the soil dry in winter, since cold, wet soil is when rot sets in.
Watch for wilting or wrinkled leaves and a plant that rocks loose. Overwatered agaves draw the beetle, so keep the soil on the dry side. Remove an infested plant and the grubs in the soil quickly.
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 Palmer's Agave native to Arizona?
Yes. It grows wild in southern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, Sonora and Chihuahua, on dry, rocky slopes, so it fits a native planting.
How big does it get?
It grows about 3 to 5 feet tall and wide, with leaves that can reach 2 feet or more long. Give it that much room, back from paths.
How far apart should I plant it?
Plant them about 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center. The Spacing tab shows it.
How cold can it take?
It is very cold hardy, to about 0°F to 12°F. Keep the soil dry in winter.
How fast does it grow?
It grows slowly, and it can live up to about 25 years before it blooms. Plan the spot for the long haul.
Does it attract bats and hummingbirds?
Yes. Its nectar is a key food for migrating nectar bats, and hummingbirds visit the flowers. Native bees and woodpeckers use the dried stalks.
When does it bloom?
It blooms only once, after many years. The stalk starts in spring and blooms in summer, branching 15 to 20 feet tall with greenish yellow flowers, and then the rosette dies.
Does it make pups?
It is solitary in the wild, but some plants make pups in gardens. If yours does, leave a pup to replace the mother plant after it blooms.
How often should I water it?
It needs very little water once rooted. Water about every 10 to 14 days in summer, every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall, and little or none in winter.
Does it have sharp teeth?
Yes. The leaf edges carry reddish teeth and each leaf ends in a sharp tip spine. Keep it back from paths and wear heavy gloves.
When is the best time to plant Palmer's Agave?
Spring, March through May, is best, and early summer and early fall also work. In midsummer, shade a new plant for a few weeks. In winter, roots grow slowly, so hold off on water.
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.
Palmer's Agave for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Palmer's Agave, Agave palmeri, grows wild on rocky slopes in southern Arizona. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, including size, spacing, sun, water, cold, pups, the bloom stalk and the wildlife it feeds.
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 Palmer's Agave native to Arizona?
Yes. It grows wild on dry, rocky slopes in southern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico and northern Mexico, at about 3,500 to 7,500 feet.
Does Palmer's Agave feed bats?
Yes. Its bloom stalk is a key nectar source for migrating nectar bats, and hummingbirds visit the flowers too.
How far apart do you plant Palmer's Agave?
Plant them about 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center. Each rosette grows about 3 to 5 feet across.
How cold hardy is Palmer's Agave?
It is very cold hardy, rated from about 0°F to 12°F. That is well below a normal Valley winter, so it needs no frost cover here.
How big does Palmer's Agave get?
It grows about 3 to 5 feet tall and wide, slowly forming a compact blue-green rosette.
How often do you water Palmer's Agave?
It needs very little water once rooted. A deep soak about every 10 to 14 days in summer is plenty, with little or none in winter.
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.