Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Sisal Agave
Sisal Agave is the agave long grown for rope fiber, with long, sword-shaped, blue-green to gray leaves and smooth edges. It grows fast into a large rosette about 6 to 8 feet tall and wide. It makes a strong focal point for a desert garden with room to spread. It is very heat tolerant and needs full sun and only occasional water once rooted.
Best for: a focal point in a large desert garden, hot full-sun yards and xeric designs with room to spread. It is a fast, big agave with long, smooth-edged leaves.
Its long, sword-shaped leaves form a rosette 6 to 8 feet across. One plant makes a strong focal point in a desert or xeric garden.
It is very heat tolerant and needs full sun. Once it is rooted, it needs only an occasional deep soak, so it suits the hottest open parts of the yard.
It grows fast and sends up pups around the base, so a planting fills in quickly. Pull pups if you want to keep one clean rosette.
It is cold tender, damaged below about 28°F and killed in the low 20s, so cover it on freezing nights. The leaf tips are stout and sharp, so it needs room away from walks and play areas.
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 about every 2 weeks 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 is cold tender, rated only to about 28°F, and the low 20s can kill it. Cover it with frost cloth or a sheet that reaches the ground, not plastic, on freezing nights, and take it off in the morning.
It spreads by underground runners into a clump of pups, and the flower stalk makes plantlets. Pull pups to keep it in bounds.
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 this the plant sisal rope comes from?
Yes. Sisal agave is grown for the fiber in its leaves, which is made into rope and twine.
How big does Sisal Agave get?
It grows about 6 to 8 feet tall and wide, with leaves up to about 5 feet long. Plant it where it has that much room.
How fast does it grow?
It is fast for an agave, and it sends up pups around the base, so a planting fills in quickly.
How cold can Sisal Agave take?
It is tender to frost. It is damaged below about 28°F and can be killed in the low 20s. On those nights, cover it with frost cloth that reaches the ground, and uncover it in the morning.
Can it take full sun and reflected heat in Phoenix?
Yes. It needs full sun, is very heat tolerant and handles extreme heat once rooted.
How often should I water it?
Once it is rooted, a deep soak about every 2 weeks in summer is plenty. Water every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall, and little or none in winter.
Does Sisal Agave have spines?
The leaf edges are smooth on mature leaves, and young leaves can have a few tiny teeth. Each leaf ends in a stout, sharp tip. Keep it away from walks, or snip off the tips.
Does it make pups?
Yes, it spreads by underground runners into a clump of pups. The flower stalk also makes small plantlets you can replant.
Does Sisal Agave bloom?
It blooms once, usually after 7 to 10 years, then that rosette dies. Yellow-green flowers come on a tall stalk, and the pups carry on.
Is Sisal Agave poisonous to dogs or cats?
Agave is mildly poisonous if chewed. The sap can irritate a pet's mouth and skin, and the sharp tips can poke. Keep pets from chewing on it.
Sisal Agave for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Sisal Agave is the plant behind sisal rope, grown for its leaf fiber. In a Valley yard it is a big, fast, heat-loving agave with long sword-shaped leaves. Below is what to expect from its size, sun, water and cold to pups, blooming and spacing.
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.
How big does Sisal Agave get?
It grows about 6 to 8 feet tall and wide. The sword-shaped leaves can reach about 5 feet long. Plan a spot with room for the full spread.
Is Sisal Agave cold hardy in Arizona?
It is tender to frost. The leaves are damaged below about 28°F, and the plant can be killed in the low 20s, so cover it with frost cloth on those nights.
Can Sisal Agave take full sun and heat?
Yes. It needs full sun and is very heat tolerant. Once it is rooted, it needs only an occasional deep soak, which makes it a fit for hot, open parts of a Valley yard.
How much room does Sisal Agave need?
Each plant spreads about 6 to 8 feet wide, so give it room for that full width. It is usually planted as a single specimen or in a small, well-spaced group rather than a tight row.
What is sisal used for?
Sisal fiber from the leaves is made into rope and twine. The plant is also sold as sisal hemp agave.
Does Sisal Agave make pups?
Yes. It spreads by underground runners into a clump, and its flower stalk makes small plantlets. Pull pups to keep a single rosette, or replant them.
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