Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Variegated Artichoke Agave
Variegated Artichoke Agave is the striped form of artichoke agave, with broad, blunt leaves banded in chartreuse and green, packed into a tight rosette shaped like an artichoke. Each leaf ends in a wavy black spine about an inch long. It grows more slowly than the plain blue form and stays smaller, about 1 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide. It fits pots, rock gardens and small desert beds.
Best for: patio pots and containers, rock gardens and desert gardens, and small beds where a striped, compact rosette can be seen up close.
Variegated forms grow more slowly than the blue artichoke agave and stay smaller, so it holds up in a patio pot for years. Use a pot with a drainage hole and gritty, fast-draining soil.
The chartreuse and green bands stand out in a rock garden or desert bed. Plant about 3 to 4 feet apart so each rosette keeps its shape.
Its tight rosette of broad, blunt leaves reads as an architectural accent. Set it where people can see the stripes, a step back from the walk.
Soggy soil, especially in winter, can rot it. Each leaf ends in a sharp black spine about an inch long, so keep it back from paths and pools.
- Group planting3-4 ft apart
- Next to other plants3-4 ft from neighbors
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.
Variegated plants grow more slowly than the blue form and stay smaller. Keep it in the same pot or spot for years, and remove dead lower leaves if you like.
Artichoke agave is hardy from about 25°F down to 10°F. Keep the soil dry in winter and cover it with frost cloth to 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.
How is it different from plain artichoke agave?
It has the same tight, artichoke-shaped rosette, but the leaves are banded in chartreuse and green instead of solid blue-gray. It also grows more slowly and stays smaller.
How big does it get?
It grows about 1 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide. Variegated plants stay smaller than the blue form, so pick the size you want to see in the first few years.
How far apart should I plant it?
Plant about 3 to 4 feet apart, center to center. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your bed.
How much sun does it need?
It grows in full sun to part sun. Give it an open, bright spot in a bed or on a patio.
How often should I water it?
Water deeply, then let the soil dry out completely before the next soak. Keep it dry in winter, when wet soil can rot it.
How cold can it take?
Artichoke agave is listed as hardy from about 25°F down to 10°F. Keep it dry in winter and cover it with frost cloth on hard freeze nights.
Does it make pups?
Artichoke agave makes pups around the base over time. Cut them free, let the cut dry for several days, then plant them.
Can I grow it in a pot?
Yes. It is slow and compact, and does well in a pot with gritty, well-drained soil and a drainage hole.
Are the spines sharp?
Yes. Each leaf ends in a wavy black spine about an inch long. Keep it back from walks and pools, or snip the tips.
Does it bloom?
Yes, once, after many years, on a tall stalk of yellow flowers. Then that rosette dies, so cut it out and let its pups carry on.
Variegated Artichoke Agave for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Variegated Artichoke Agave is a striped form of artichoke agave, the compact Parry's agave from Durango and Zacatecas. It keeps the tight, artichoke-like rosette with chartreuse and green bands. Below is what to expect from it in the Valley, from sun and water to size, spacing and pots.
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.
Variegated Artichoke Agave vs Artichoke Agave
Both form the same tight, artichoke-like rosette. The variegated form has chartreuse and green bands, grows more slowly and stays smaller than the blue-gray artichoke agave.
How big does Variegated Artichoke Agave get?
It grows about 1 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide. Growth is slow, which suits pots and small beds.
How far apart do you plant Variegated Artichoke Agave?
Plant about 3 to 4 feet apart center to center. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your bed.
How often do you water Variegated Artichoke Agave?
Soak it, then let the soil dry out completely. Keep it dry in winter. Gritty, well-drained soil matters most.
Is Variegated Artichoke Agave cold hardy?
Artichoke agave is listed as hardy from about 25°F down to 10°F. Cover it with frost cloth on hard freeze nights.
Growing Variegated Artichoke Agave in a pot
Its slow growth and compact size make it a good container plant. Use gritty, fast-draining soil and a pot with a drainage hole.
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