Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Variegated Foxtail Agave
Variegated Foxtail Agave is the soft, spineless foxtail agave with cream to pale yellow stripes along its leaves. The wide, pliable leaves have no teeth and no sharp tip, so it can go by a pool, a walk or a door. It grows slowly and stays about 3 to 4 feet tall. Give it filtered light or shade in the afternoon.
Best for: shaded entries and courtyards, the edge of a pool, and large pots you can move on frost nights. A striped, spineless rosette for spots out of the hot afternoon sun.
In the Valley it does best in filtered light, on an east side or under a tree canopy. The cream stripes show up well in those shaded spots by a front door.
The leaves are soft and pliable, with no teeth on the edges and no spine at the tip. It is one of the agaves people plant by pools and fountains. Pull pups to keep it tidy.
It grows slowly and stays about 3 to 4 feet tall, so it holds well in a large pot. A pot lets you move it under a patio cover on nights near freezing.
Hot afternoon sun can scorch the soft leaves, so keep it off open west and south beds. Frost below about 28 to 30°F damages it, so it needs cover on the coldest nights.
- Group planting8 ft apart, center to center
Plant into dry soil and wait about 1 to 2 weeks before the first watering, or up to a month in cool weather. Then water about every other week while nights stay above 60°F. Light shade cloth for the first few weeks helps it settle in.
Water about every 1 to 2 weeks in summer and every 3 to 5 weeks in spring and fall. In winter, water only if there has been no rain. Pots need water more often.
Frost below about 28 to 30°F damages it. On frost nights, cover it with frost cloth that reaches the ground and take it off in the morning. Move potted plants under a patio cover.
It makes pups at the base over time. Cut them off with a clean knife, let the cut dry for several days, then plant them.
Most agaves need no fertilizer. If you feed, use a light balanced fertilizer in spring or early summer, never on a new transplant and never in fall or winter. No pruning is needed.
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.
Can Variegated Foxtail Agave take full sun in Phoenix?
It does best in the Valley with filtered light or shade in the afternoon, such as an east side. Hot afternoon sun can scorch the soft leaves.
Does it have spines?
No. The leaves have smooth edges with no teeth and a soft, flexible tip. That is why people plant foxtail agaves by walks and pools.
How big does it get?
It grows about 3 to 4 feet tall. A single rosette spreads about 3 to 5 feet, and the clump gets wider as pups fill in.
How fast does it grow?
The striped form grows slowly, so a small plant takes years to fill out. Buy a larger size if you want presence sooner.
How is it different from regular foxtail agave?
It has cream to pale yellow stripes along the leaves, where the regular form is plain gray-green. It is also sold as a slow grower, while the green form is usually moderate.
How often should I water it?
In summer, water about every 1 to 2 weeks. In spring and fall, every 3 to 5 weeks. In winter, water only if there has been no rain. Pots need water more often.
How cold can it take?
It is frost tender and gets damaged below about 28 to 30°F. On frost nights, cover it with frost cloth to the ground or move a potted plant under a patio cover.
Can I plant it by the pool?
Yes. With no teeth or sharp tip, it is one of the agaves people put by pools. Pull the pups now and then so the clump does not spread.
Does it make pups?
Yes, it makes pups at the base over time. Cut or twist them off, let the cut dry for several days, then plant them.
Does it bloom?
Yes, but rarely, and only once. An arching stalk carries yellow-green flowers, then that rosette dies and its pups carry on.
Can the sap irritate skin?
Foxtail agave leaf juice can irritate skin in some people. Wear gloves when you cut leaves or pups, and wash off any sap with soap and water.
Is it safe around dogs and cats?
It has no spines to hurt pets. The leaf juice can irritate a pet's mouth and skin if chewed, so keep pets from chewing on it.
Variegated Foxtail Agave for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Variegated Foxtail Agave is a striped form of the soft, spineless foxtail agave. Its wide leaves carry cream to pale yellow bands. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard: shade, size, how slow it grows, water, frost, pups, pools 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.
Does Variegated Foxtail Agave need shade in Phoenix?
Yes. It does best with filtered light or afternoon shade, such as an east side or under a tree. Hot afternoon sun can scorch the soft, striped leaves.
Variegated vs regular foxtail agave
The variegated form has cream to pale yellow stripes along its soft leaves. The regular foxtail is plain gray-green and usually grows faster. Both have no teeth or sharp tip and want afternoon shade here.
Is Variegated Foxtail Agave good by a pool?
Yes. The leaves have no teeth and no sharp tip, so it is one of the agaves people plant by pools and fountains. Pull pups to keep the clump in bounds.
How big does Variegated Foxtail Agave get?
About 3 to 4 feet tall, with a rosette about 3 to 5 feet across. It grows slowly, so it holds its size in a pot or bed for years.
Will Variegated Foxtail Agave survive a Valley frost?
It is frost tender and gets damaged below about 28 to 30°F. Cover it with frost cloth that reaches the ground, or move a pot under a patio cover.
How often do you water Variegated Foxtail Agave?
About every 1 to 2 weeks in summer and every 3 to 5 weeks in spring and fall. In winter, water only if there has been no rain. Soil that stays wet can rot it.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.