Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Smooth Spoon
Smooth Spoon, also called Mexican grass tree, grows a symmetrical rosette of very long, narrow green leaves with no teeth along the edges. Over many years it slowly forms a trunk, reaching about 6 to 10 feet, and older plants send up flower stalks 10 to 12 feet tall. It works as an accent in the ground or in a large pot, and fits both desert and tropical-style yards. It takes full sun or reflected heat and needs little water once rooted.
Best for: poolside and high-traffic spots, large patio containers, accents in desert or tropical-style yards, and hot beds with reflected heat.
The long, flexible leaves have no teeth along the edges, unlike most sotols. That makes it a common pick for poolside beds, fountains and high-traffic areas.
It grows well in a large patio container. The slow growth and symmetrical rosette of 3 to 4 foot leaves make a strong accent.
It blends into both arid and tropical-style gardens. It takes full sun, reflected heat or part shade.
Roots can rot in soil that stays wet, so good drainage matters. The leaf edges have no teeth but can still give a paper-cut.
- Closer planting8 ft apart, center to center
- Wider planting12 ft apart, center to center
Once rooted, give it a deep soak once or twice a month in the warm season. Little or no water is needed in winter.
You should never shear this plant. Cut old lower leaves as they die to show off the trunk, and cut spent flower stalks.
It is rated to about 15°F. Cover young plants with frost cloth that reaches the ground on hard freeze nights.
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 Smooth Spoon the same as Mexican grass tree?
Yes. It is also sold as Mexican grass tree, toothless sotol and toothless desert spoon. The name has gone back and forth between two very similar sotols.
How big does Smooth Spoon get?
Over many years it forms a trunk and reaches about 6 to 10 feet tall. The rosette of leaves spreads about 6 to 8 feet. Each leaf is about 3 to 4 feet long.
How fast does it grow?
It grows slowly, and the trunk takes years to form.
Are the leaves sharp?
They have no teeth along the edges, unlike Desert Spoon. The edges can still give a paper-cut.
Can I plant Smooth Spoon by the pool?
Yes. With no teeth on the leaves, it is used poolside, near fountains and in high-traffic spots.
How far apart should I plant Smooth Spoon?
About 8 to 12 feet apart center to center, with 6 to 8 feet of room for each rosette. The Spacing tab shows both numbers.
How often should I water Smooth Spoon?
Once rooted, a deep soak once or twice a month in the warm season. Give little or no water in winter, and use soil that drains well.
Does it need full sun?
It grows in full sun and reflected heat, and it also takes part shade.
How cold hardy is Smooth Spoon?
It is rated hardy to about 15°F.
Does Smooth Spoon bloom?
Yes, once it is older. Mature plants send up flower stalks about 10 to 12 feet tall, and they keep blooming in later years. There are separate male and female plants.
How do I trim it?
You should never shear this plant. Old lower leaves can be cut off as they die, which shows off the trunk. Cut spent flower stalks at the base.
How is it different from Desert Spoon?
Smooth Spoon has green leaves with no teeth and slowly builds a taller trunk. Desert Spoon has silver-blue leaves with hooked teeth and takes colder winters, to about 0°F.
Smooth Spoon for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Smooth Spoon, often sold as Mexican grass tree or toothless desert spoon, is a sotol from northeastern Mexico. Its long green leaves have no teeth on the edges, and over the years it grows a trunk crowned by a round rosette. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard: size, spacing, watering, trimming and how it compares with Desert Spoon.
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.
What is Smooth Spoon?
Smooth Spoon is a sotol from northeastern Mexico, also sold as Mexican grass tree and toothless desert spoon. It forms a symmetrical rosette of long, narrow green leaves with no teeth on the edges. Over many years it grows a trunk.
How big does Mexican grass tree get in Arizona?
It slowly reaches about 6 to 10 feet tall with a rosette 6 to 8 feet across. Leaves grow about 3 to 4 feet long. Older plants send up flower stalks 10 to 12 feet tall.
Is Smooth Spoon good around a pool?
Yes. Its leaves have no teeth, so it is used poolside, near fountains and in busy spots. The leaf edges can still give a paper-cut.
How often do you water Smooth Spoon in Phoenix?
Once rooted, give a deep soak once or twice a month in the warm season. Water little or not at all in winter. Roots can rot in soil that stays wet.
Smooth Spoon vs Desert Spoon
Desert Spoon has silver-blue leaves with hooked teeth and is hardy to about 0°F. Smooth Spoon has green, toothless leaves, a taller trunk over time, and is hardy to about 15°F.
How far apart do you plant Mexican grass tree?
Plant them about 8 to 12 feet apart center to center. Each rosette needs about 6 to 8 feet of room.
How to trim a Mexican grass tree
You should never shear this plant. Remove old lower leaves as they die to show the trunk, and cut off spent flower stalks, since no other trimming is needed.
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