Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Toothless Murphey's Agave
Toothless Murphey's Agave is a selection of Murphey's agave, the Hohokam agave of central Arizona, with leaf edges that have no teeth. It keeps the species' toughness: full sun, extreme heat and very little water. It grows about 3 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide and fills in with pups over time. Use it in desert gardens, rock gardens and containers.
Best for: rock gardens, desert and native plantings, and containers in full sun. It is a Murphey's agave with smooth, toothless leaf edges.
It does well in gritty, rocky, lean soil that drains fast. The smooth-edged rosette stands out cleanly against boulders and gravel.
It grows well in a container. Use a pot with a drainage hole and fast-draining soil, and water only when the soil is dry.
Like the species, it tolerates extreme heat and full sun on very little water. A bed on the south or west side of the house suits it.
It wants to stay dry in winter, and soil that stays wet can rot it. Skip heavy soil that holds water, or plant it on a low mound.
- Tight group2 ft apart
- Looser group3 ft apart
Set it in dry soil and skip water for about a week or two in warm weather, longer when it is cool. Then give it water about every other week while nights stay warm.
Once it is rooted, water deeply every 10 to 14 days in summer and every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall. Keep it dry in winter, and let the soil dry out between soakings.
It is rated from about 20°F down to 10°F. On hard freeze nights, drape frost cloth or a sheet all the way to the ground, not plastic, and uncover it in the morning. Move potted plants next to the house.
It makes pups at the base, and the flower stalk grows small plantlets. Pull and replant either one, but let pups dry for several days first.
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 makes Toothless Murphey's Agave different?
It is a selection of Murphey's agave whose leaf edges have no teeth. The regular form has small, well-spaced teeth along the edges.
Is Toothless Murphey's Agave native to Arizona?
It is a selection of an Arizona native. Murphey's agave grows in central Arizona and south into Sonora, mostly at old Hohokam sites.
How big does it get?
It grows about 3 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide, like the regular form, and fills in with pups over time.
Can it take full sun and reflected heat?
Yes. Like the species, it tolerates extreme heat and full sun with very little water, and south and west-facing beds suit it.
How often should I water it?
Once it is rooted, a deep soak every 10 to 14 days in summer is plenty. Water every 3 to 4 weeks in spring and fall, and keep it dry in winter.
How cold can it take?
Murphey's agave is rated from about 20°F down to 10°F. On hard freeze nights, cover it with frost cloth that reaches the ground, and remove the cover in the morning.
Can I grow it in a pot?
Yes, it grows well as a container plant. Use a pot with a drainage hole and fast-draining soil, and move the pot next to the house on freeze nights.
Does it make pups?
Yes. Murphey's agave makes pups at the base and fills in over time, and its flower stalk also grows small plantlets you can replant.
Does it bloom?
It blooms once, and then that rosette dies. Green and yellow flowers come on a tall stalk, and the pups carry on.
Is it poisonous to dogs or cats?
Agave is mildly poisonous if chewed, and the sap can irritate a pet's mouth and skin. Keep pets from chewing on it.
Toothless Murphey's Agave for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Toothless Murphey's Agave is a smooth-edged form of Murphey's agave, the agave the Hohokam farmed in Arizona. It is grown for the same sun and heat toughness as the species. Below is what to expect from it, from size, sun, water and cold to pups, blooming and how it differs from the regular form.
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 the difference between Toothless and regular Murphey's Agave?
Both plants are Agave murpheyi. The regular form has small teeth along the leaf edges, while Toothless is a selection whose leaf edges have none.
Is Toothless Murphey's Agave native to Arizona?
It is a selection of Murphey's agave, which is native to central Arizona and Sonora. The Hohokam farmed the species for food and fiber.
How big does Toothless Murphey's Agave get?
It grows about 3 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide, and it fills in with pups over time.
Can Toothless Murphey's Agave take full sun?
Yes. It handles extreme heat and full sun on little water. Give it gritty, rocky soil that drains fast, and keep it dry in winter.
How far apart do you plant Toothless Murphey's Agave?
For a close group, plant about 2 to 3 feet apart, center to center. Plan for each plant to reach 3 to 4 feet across. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your bed.
Can you grow Toothless Murphey's Agave in a pot?
Yes, it grows well as a container plant. Use a pot with a drainage hole and fast-draining soil, and water only when the soil is dry.
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