Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Shark Tooth Agave
Shark Tooth Agave is Agave megalodonta, a species from southern Mexico named for the very large white teeth along its leaf edges. It grows as a single rosette about 3 to 4 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide, and it does not fill in with pups. It needs very little water once rooted. Plant it in soil that drains fast, in a dry bed where the toothed leaves can be seen.
Best for: dry, low-water beds with fast-draining soil, a single bold rosette with room around it, and spots set back from walks and play areas.
Agaves need very little water once they are rooted. Water deeply, then let the soil dry out before the next soak, and keep it dry in winter.
In a pot, use a fast-draining mix and a container with a drainage hole. Pots dry out faster than the ground, so check them more often in summer.
It stays a single rosette about 4 to 5 feet wide, with large white teeth along the leaf edges. Plant it about 6 feet from other plants, and back from walkways, patios and play areas.
Soil that stays wet, or a hole that sits over caliche, can rot the roots. Overwatered agaves also draw the agave snout weevil.
- Closer group6 ft apart
- Looser group8 ft apart
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.
An agave in the ground rarely needs 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.
On hard freeze nights, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet that reaches the ground, not plastic. Take the cover off in the morning.
Watch for wilting or wrinkled leaves and a plant that rocks loose. Overwatered agaves draw the beetle, so keep the soil dry between soaks and remove an infested plant 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.
What is Shark Tooth Agave?
It is Agave megalodonta, a species from southern Mexico that was first described in 2019. The name means big teeth, for the very large white teeth along its leaf edges.
How big does Shark Tooth Agave get?
It grows about 3 to 4 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide. Give it about 6 feet from the next plant so the rosette has room.
Does it make pups?
No. It stays a single rosette and does not spread into a clump, so plant as many as you want to see.
How often should I water it?
Once rooted, a deep soak about every 2 weeks in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall is plenty. Water little or none in winter, and let the soil dry out between soaks.
When is the best time to plant it?
Agaves root fastest when planted in spring, from about March through May. Midsummer plantings face more sunburn and heat stress, and winter plantings root slowly in cold soil.
What soil does it need?
It needs well-drained sandy or gravelly soil. In clay, mix coarse sand and fine gravel into the top foot or plant on a low mound. Dig through any caliche so the hole drains.
How do I protect it from frost?
Expect it to take cold into the high 20s. On colder nights, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet that reaches the ground, not plastic, and take the cover off in the morning.
Why is my agave soft or collapsing?
Soft, mushy leaves point to rot from too much water or poor drainage. Wilting leaves and a plant that rocks loose can mean the agave snout weevil. Cut back the water and remove an infested plant quickly.
Is it safe around kids and pets?
Its leaf edges carry very large teeth, and agave sap can irritate skin and a pet's mouth if chewed. Plant it back from paths and play areas, and wear gloves when you handle it.
Does it need fertilizer?
It usually does not need any. If you feed, use a light balanced fertilizer in spring or early summer, never on a new plant and never in fall or winter.
Shark Tooth Agave for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Shark Tooth Agave is Agave megalodonta, a species from southern Mexico first described in 2019. Its name means big teeth, for the large white teeth on its leaf edges. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard: size, spacing, water, soil, planting time and frost.
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What is Shark Tooth Agave?
It is Agave megalodonta, a single-rosette agave from southern Mexico. It grows about 3 to 4 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide, with very large white teeth along the leaf edges.
How often do you water an agave in Phoenix?
Once rooted, soak it about every 2 weeks in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall. Water little or none in winter. Let the soil dry out in between.
When should you plant agave in Arizona?
Spring, about March through May, gives the quickest rooting. Midsummer plantings face more heat stress, and winter plantings root slowly in cold soil.
What soil do agaves need?
Agaves need fast-draining sandy or gravelly soil. Work coarse sand and gravel into clay, or plant on a low mound. Break through caliche so water drains away.
How do you protect an agave from frost?
Cover it with frost cloth or a sheet that reaches the ground on hard freeze nights, and remove it in the morning. Potted agaves can move next to the house.
How do you keep snout weevils off agaves?
Good drainage and not overwatering help most. If an agave wilts and rocks loose, remove it and the grubs in the soil quickly so they do not spread.
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.