Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Schott's Century Plant
Schott's Century Plant, also called shindagger, is a small agave native to southern Arizona, New Mexico and Sonora. Its narrow green to yellow-green leaves have curly white threads along the edges and no side teeth, so it looks a bit like a small yucca. Each rosette stays low, about 16 to 24 inches tall, and it pups freely into colonies up to about 4 feet across. It takes full sun, poor soil and drought, and suits native gardens and rock gardens.
Best for: native plant gardens, rock gardens and gravelly slopes, and low colonies in full sun set back from paths.
It grows wild in southern Arizona on gravelly to rocky slopes, in desert scrub, grasslands and oak woodlands. It fits a native plant garden with other upland plants.
It pups freely and forms dense colonies up to about 4 feet across. That suits rock gardens and gravelly slopes where a low, spreading agave fills in.
Its narrow leaves have curly white threads and no side teeth, so it reads like a small yucca. Plant a small group where the threads catch the light.
The leaves sit at shin height and end in a very sharp tip, which is where the name shindagger comes from. Keep it away from paths, and plant it where water drains away fast.
Set it in dry soil at the depth it grew in the pot. Hold off watering for about 1 to 2 weeks in warm weather, or up to a month when it is cool. Then water about every other week while nights stay above 60°F. Light shade cloth for the first few weeks helps it settle.
Water deeply, then let the soil dry before the next soak. About every 2 weeks in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall is plenty. Cut back by October and let winter rain carry it.
Most plants never need fertilizer. If you do feed, use a light balanced fertilizer in spring or early summer, never on a new plant and never in fall or winter. No pruning is needed beyond removing dead lower leaves.
It suckers freely into dense colonies. Let it spread in a rock garden or slope, or cut pups free and let them dry for several days before replanting.
The sharp leaf tips sit at shin height. Wear heavy gloves and long pants when you plant, divide or weed around it.
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 Schott's Century Plant native to Arizona?
Yes. It grows wild in southern Arizona, including Graham County, and in southwest New Mexico and Sonora, Mexico, at about 3,000 to 7,000 feet.
Why is it called shindagger?
The leaves sit at shin height and end in a sharp spine that can pierce a leg, often hidden in grass. Keep it well back from paths.
How big does it get?
Each rosette stays about 16 to 24 inches tall. It pups freely and can form a colony about 4 feet across, so give it that room.
Does it make pups?
Yes. It suckers freely and forms dense colonies over time. Cut pups free and let them dry for several days before planting.
When does it bloom?
It blooms in late spring and summer, about May to July. A narrow stalk 4 to 9 feet tall carries sweet-scented light yellow flowers. That rosette then dies, and the colony carries on.
How much water does it need?
It needs very little water. Once it is rooted, water it only now and then. It tolerates poor soil and drought but needs excellent drainage.
Does it have teeth like other agaves?
No, it has no side teeth. The leaf edges carry curly threads instead, but each leaf ends in a sharp tip, so keep it back from paths.
Can I dig one from the wild?
No. It is a protected native plant in Arizona, so buy a nursery-grown plant instead.
Is it poisonous to pets?
Agave sap can irritate a pet's mouth and skin if chewed and upset the stomach. The sharp tips can also poke. Keep pets from chewing on it.
Schott's Century Plant for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Schott's Century Plant is a small agave native to the mountains and grasslands of southern Arizona. It spreads into low colonies of narrow, thread-edged leaves. Below is what to expect from it in a Valley yard, from sun and water to size, 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.
Is Schott's Century Plant an Arizona native?
Yes. It grows wild in the mountains and grasslands of southern Arizona and into New Mexico and Sonora. It is a protected native plant in Arizona.
How big does Schott's agave get?
Each rosette stays about 16 to 24 inches tall. It pups freely into colonies about 4 feet across.
Why is Agave schottii called shindagger?
The leaves sit at shin height with a needle-sharp tip that can stab a leg, often hidden in grass. Plant it away from paths.
How much water does Schott's Century Plant need?
It needs very little water. Once it is rooted, water it only now and then. Excellent drainage matters more than extra water.
When does Schott's Century Plant bloom?
It blooms about May to July, on a narrow 4 to 9 foot stalk of sweet-scented light yellow flowers. That rosette then dies and the pups carry on.
Schott's Century Plant vs yucca
It is an agave, but its narrow leaves, thready edges and lack of side teeth make it look like a small yucca. Unlike yucca, each rosette dies after it blooms.
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