Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Variegated Squid Agave
Variegated Squid Agave is the cream-edged form of squid agave, with soft, arching green leaves trimmed in a creamy white margin. Like the plain form, it has no spines or teeth, so it can sit by a path, a seat or the pool. It stays small, about a foot tall and a foot and a half wide, and grows slowly. It shines in a pot or a lightly shaded bed where the pale edges stand out.
Best for: patio pots and raised planters, lightly shaded beds, spots beside paths, seating and pools, and a soft accent among boulders and other succulents.
At about a foot tall and a foot and a half wide, it stays in scale in a patio pot or raised planter for years. Use a pot with a drainage hole and a fast-draining mix.
Bright shade or part sun suits it better than all-day sun. The creamy margins stand out in a bed under a light tree canopy or on the east side of the house.
The leaves are soft and bend, with no teeth or hard tip. You can plant it where people walk by or sit, including near the pool deck.
Strong afternoon sun can scorch the cream edges. It is less cold hardy than plain squid agave and wants protection below about 20°F, and wet soil can rot it.
- Group or border2-3 ft apart
- Tight group2 ft apart
Plant it where it gets part sun or bright, light shade. Shade from the hot afternoon sun keeps the creamy leaf edges from scorching.
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.
Water occasionally and let the soil dry between soaks, about every 2 weeks in summer. Keep it dry in winter, when cold, wet soil can rot it.
This form is less cold hardy than plain squid agave. Cover it with frost cloth that reaches the ground on hard freeze nights, or move a pot against the house, and uncover it in the morning.
Most agaves need no fertilizer. If you feed, use a light balanced fertilizer in spring or early summer, never on a new transplant. 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.
How big does Variegated Squid Agave get?
It reaches about 1 foot tall and 12 to 18 inches wide, smaller than the plain green form. It grows slowly, so plan on it staying compact for years.
How is it different from regular squid agave?
Its green leaves have a creamy white edge. It stays smaller, makes pups only now and then once mature, and needs more shade and more winter protection than the plain form.
Does Variegated Squid Agave need shade in Phoenix?
Yes, give it light shade. Part sun or bright shade suits it, and shade from the hot afternoon sun keeps the pale edges from scorching. An east-facing bed or a spot under a light tree works well.
Does it have spines?
No. The leaves are soft and pliable, with no teeth and no hard tip. That makes it safe to plant by paths, seating and the pool.
How cold can it take?
Protect it when nights drop below about 20°F. On a hard freeze night, cover it with frost cloth that reaches the ground, or move a potted plant against the house, and uncover it in the morning.
How often should I water it?
Water occasionally, letting the soil dry out between soaks. About every 2 weeks in summer is plenty once it is rooted, and keep it dry in winter.
Does it make pups?
Only now and then, once it is mature. If a pup appears, cut it free with a clean knife, let the cut dry for several days, then plant it.
Will it bloom?
Flowering is rare in this form and comes only with great age. The species blooms on a tall stalk with pale yellow to cream flowers, and it does not have to die afterward.
Is it poisonous to dogs or cats?
Agaves are mildly poisonous if chewed. The sap can irritate a pet's mouth and skin and upset the stomach, so keep pets from chewing on it.
Why is my agave soft or rotting?
Mushy leaves usually mean too much water or soil that stays wet. Cut back watering, and make sure the pot or bed drains fast.
Variegated Squid Agave for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Variegated Squid Agave is a rare cream-edged form of Agave bracteosa, the soft, spineless squid agave from the mountains of northern Mexico. It stays about a foot tall and grows slowly. Below: size, sun and shade, water, cold, pups and how it differs from the plain green squid agave.
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 Variegated Squid Agave?
It is a cream-edged form of squid agave, Agave bracteosa. The soft, arching leaves are green with a creamy white margin and have no spines. It stays about a foot tall.
Variegated vs regular squid agave
Plain squid agave grows larger and pups freely into a mound. The variegated form stays smaller, pups only now and then, and needs more shade and more frost protection.
Does Variegated Squid Agave need shade?
Yes. Give it part sun or bright, light shade, and keep it out of the hot afternoon sun. Too much sun can scorch the pale leaf edges.
How cold hardy is Variegated Squid Agave?
Protect it below about 20°F. Cover it with frost cloth that reaches the ground on freeze nights, or move a pot to a sheltered spot by the house.
Growing Variegated Squid Agave in a pot
Its small size and slow growth suit a patio pot. Use fast-draining mix and a pot with a drainage hole, and water only when the mix dries out.
How far apart to plant Variegated Squid Agave
In a bed or border, plant about 2 to 3 feet apart, center to center. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your bed.
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