Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Variegated Durango Delight Agave
Variegated Durango Delight Agave is a variegated form of Agave schidigera, the small thread-leaf agave behind Durango Delight. Like the green form, it builds a tight rosette of narrow leaves with white threads along the edges. It stays small, about 2 feet tall and wide, and suits a pot or a small bed seen up close. Give it light shade from the western sun and little water.
Best for: patio pots, small beds near an entry or seating area, and spots with light shade from the western sun.
Agave schidigera stays about 2 feet tall and grows slowly, so it works as a container or patio pot plant. Use a pot with a drainage hole and fast-draining soil.
The white edge threads and leaf color show best up close. Plant it in a small bed by an entry or seating area, a little back from the walk.
Agave schidigera does best in Phoenix with light, filtered shade from the western sun. A spot under a light tree canopy works well.
Harsh western afternoon sun is hard on it, and wet soil in winter can rot it. Each leaf ends in a sharp, stiff tip, so keep it back from paths and pools.
- Group or mass planting2 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.
It rarely needs any 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.
In Phoenix this agave does best with light, filtered shade from the western afternoon sun. Morning sun and afternoon shade suit it.
It is hardy to about 15°F. Keep the soil dry through 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.
What is Variegated Durango Delight Agave?
It is a variegated form of Agave schidigera, the same small thread-leaf agave as Durango Delight, offered by local Arizona growers. Care is the same as the green form.
How big does it get?
Agave schidigera grows to about 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. It is slow, so buy the size you want to see in the first few years.
Does it need shade in Phoenix?
Yes, light filtered shade from the western sun is best in Phoenix. Plant it where it gets morning sun or dappled light in the afternoon.
How often should I water it?
Water it through the summer, soaking deeply and letting the soil dry between. Keep it dry in winter, since cold, wet soil can rot it.
How cold can it take?
Agave schidigera is listed as hardy to about 15°F. On hard freeze nights, cover it with frost cloth to the ground and keep the soil dry.
Does it make pups?
Agave schidigera generally does not make pups. It grows as a single rosette, so there is nothing to pull.
Does it bloom?
It blooms once, at the end of its life, on a flower spike about 7 to 12 feet tall. That rosette dies after it blooms, so plan to replace it.
Are the leaves sharp?
The edges carry soft white threads instead of teeth, but each leaf ends in a sharp, stiff tip. Keep it a little back from walks, or snip the tips.
Can I grow it in a pot?
Yes. It works as a container or patio pot plant. Use fast-draining soil and a pot with a drainage hole, and water less in winter.
Is it poisonous to pets?
Agave sap can irritate a pet's mouth and skin if chewed and upset the stomach. The sharp tips can also poke. Keep pets from chewing on it.
Variegated Durango Delight Agave for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Variegated Durango Delight is a variegated form of Agave schidigera, the thread-leaf agave, from local Arizona growers. It shares the small size and white edge threads of the green form. Below is what to expect from it in a Valley pot or bed, from shade and water to cold and blooming.
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 Durango Delight vs Durango Delight
Both are small forms of Agave schidigera with white edge threads and the same care. The variegated form adds leaf color. Both stay small and slow.
Does Variegated Durango Delight need shade in Phoenix?
Yes. Agave schidigera does best in Phoenix with light, filtered shade from the western sun. Morning sun with afternoon shade suits it.
How big does Variegated Durango Delight get?
Agave schidigera grows to about 2 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. It is slow and stays a single rosette.
How do you water Variegated Durango Delight?
Water it in the summer months and let the soil dry between soaks. Keep it dry in winter. Well-drained soil is a must.
Is Variegated Durango Delight cold hardy?
Agave schidigera is listed as hardy to about 15°F. Cover it with frost cloth on hard freeze nights.
Growing Variegated Durango Delight in a pot
Its small size and slow growth suit a patio pot. Use fast-draining soil and a pot with a drainage hole.
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