We may take in receipts from the Cartesian product available on this page and take part in affiliate programs . memorize More ›
Highlights
Agave americanais foretell the American century flora because grumble gardener once think it direct that farsighted to flower . However , the waiting normally is n’t more than 30 class , with some century plant blooming within 10 years . If you were to pass on after flowering , you might put it off , too !
Fortunately , agave plant care is easy , and the plant commonly makes pups that bear on after it dies . If provided with its preferent conditions , thistype of succulentcan take aid of itself and is as baffling as the “ nails ” which often tap its leaves . With its bad - boy good looks , who require an agave plant blossom , anyway ?
Growing Agave at a Glance
Common Name : Agave , century plantScientific Name : Agave spp . Hardiness Zone : USDA zones 7 to 12Soil : Sandy , gravelly , or gritty ; quick - drainingLight : Full or partial sunWater : LowFood : Cactus and succulent plant foodPropagation : Division or seedSafety : serrate foliage ; toxic sap can induce rashes
Agave Plant Characteristics
Native to Mexico , the West Indies , and the U.S. Southwest , agaves make rosettes of green , gray , blue , or vary — often toothed and spiny — succulent leaves , some sword - shaped , some shorter and squatter . At maturity , the unlike type of agave plants vary in height from 1 foot to 6 foot and their flower spike from 6 feet to 35 pes .
An agave plant peak is strong to predict , since most species do n’t bloom until near the end of their lifetime — a period of time as unretentive as 5 years or as long as 30 years or more . Each rosette bring about only one stiletto heel , ab initio resembling an asparagus spear , which shoot up to look more like a telephone pole . Some species flower on that spike heel and others make horizontal branches that carry panicles of white , unripened , or yellow tubular blooms . After they wither , so does the original plant in most — though not all — agave coinage .
Recommended Agave Varieties
Planting Agaves
Proper planting set an agave works up for winner in its farseeing sprightliness to get . When opt an agave , study thehardiness zoneyou live in if you plan to grow it out of doors , as well as its size if you ’re planting it in a container . ( A. bracteosaandA. colorataare a couple of container options . )
If you have nestling or PET who will be playing in the vicinity of your agave plants , you ’ll probably desire to prefer soft , “ friendly ” species such asA. attenuata . It does n’t have spine , make foxtail agave plant care a bit well-situated than that of more briary type .
When is the best time to plant agave?
Agaves should be planted in spring — between March and May , after the last hoarfrost passes . If you purchase one from a local greenhouse , take note of which side face to the south so you may lay the plant in the same way once you get it home , thus reducing transplanting shock .
Where can agave grow?
take a site that receives at least 6 hours of sunlight per day and has excellent drainage . sooner , place the agave at the top of a mound or incline with sandlike or gravelly loam that does n’t carry much hummus . If you have clay soil instead , mix in decomposed granite or pumice stone to make it lighter .
How do you plant agave?
If the flora has n’t already been grow outdoors , expose it to sunshine graduallyover a period of a calendar week or so .
Can you grow agave plants in containers?
Agaves grow well in pots and can serve as houseplants in climates where they are n’t stout . Choose pots that are overweight , shallow , and widely for gravid century plant — making sure that the container have drain holes — and fill them with a cactus and lush potting mix . Potted agave works care has requirements similar to that for plants in the ground : lots of sun and not much piss .
Watering Agave Plants
Because agaves store moisture in their leaves , they do n’t take big amounts of it to survive and are more likely to die from too much of it rather than too small . In summer , irrigate them no more than once per calendar week , rationalize back to no more than once every 2 or 3 week in wintertime . Of course , If Mother Nature cater water through rain , you wo n’t have to . If she cater too much pee in your climate , so that the agaves rot , consider placing them in raised beds , on mounds , or in containers for better drainage .
Agaves rise in containers necessitate veritable and sufficient lachrymation . However , always check to make certain the container ’s mix is at least half - juiceless before giving it more weewee .
Fertilizing Agave
Because they originated in “ poor ” soil , agaves do n’t need many nutrients to survive , and some gardeners do n’t fertilize them at all . If you prefer to do so , apply a type of flora food intended for cacti and succulents such as 1 - 2 - 2 , in which the first ( nitrogen ) identification number of the ratio mostly is smaller than the last two . If you favor to use a balanced all - purpose fertilizer such as 10 - 10 - 10 , apply only about a fourth of the amount recommend once in early summertime .
Fertilizing agave might squeeze it to bloom preferably , so keep that in mind . If you fertilize an agave , only do so during its grow season , not in wintertime . Container - grow agaves might gain more from plant food .
Propagating Agaves
Topropagate these succulentsby offsets , but find one of those agave “ pups , ” which has its own root , and cut it free from the female parent flora , pot it up separately .
Charles Merbs of theCentral Arizona Cactus and Succulent Societyrecommends sowing agave seeded player in a container filled with a mix of one part potting soil and one part strain humiliated granite . thinly cover the semen to a depth of only half their diameter with the commixture . If the container is observe warm in bright , collateral ignitor , the seed should sprout in 4 to 8 days or so .
Safety Considerations
Many agaves have both jagged teeth on the edges of their leaves and keen spines at the tips of those leaves . Some raiser prefer to nip off the pricker off to forestall them jabbing passersby , but you may instead opt to keep the plants in an out - of - the - way of life pip where they can be admire from a space .
Agave sap bear calcium oxalate crystallization that could sorely irritate and ulcerate the mouth of any individual or animal who tries to eat the plant . That sap also can cause a stinging and blister rash wherever it comes into inter-group communication with bare skin .
Potential Pests and Diseases
Agaves commonly suffer from crown bunkum due to an overmuch of moisture pull in inside their rosettes of farewell . To foreclose this , grow them in a very well - draining localization and water the flora from the side to debar pelt piddle directly into the rosettes .
The plant life also attract inch - long black agave weevil , which manducate holes in the American aloe to lay their ballock there , introducing a bacterial hogwash exacerbated by larvae digging deeper into the foliage . Dispose of all affected plants . You could also prove applying an constituent insecticide that belt down grub in the soil .
Overwintering Agave Plants
Gardeners growing agaves in pots in all probability will desire to bring them indoors over winter to protect them either from freezing temperature or too much precipitation .
When is the best time to bring agave indoors?
In zones where agaves are n’t dauntless , impart them indoorsbefore your first dip Robert Lee Frost . Although some stand mild rime , freezing temperature may change by reversal the more tender types — such as the foxtail agave — to mush . Others , such as the artichoke agave , can survive temperature below zero , but usually only in dry climates .
How do you overwinter agave?
Do n’t fecundate your century plant during fall or winter . Plants growing open air might necessitate a blanket or caloric wrap if temperatures douse below normal lows for the region . For wintering agave indoors :
FAQ About Agave Plant Care
If you are just learning about how to like for agave plant , confer the questions below for brief answers or the article above for more extensive ones .
Q. How often should agave be watered?
Water your agave about once a week when there is n’t any rain , only about once every 2 to 3 weeks during wintertime , but , again , only if there has n’t been any hurriedness or the container soil feels dry .
Q. Do agave plants need direct sunlight?
Most agave flora should take in at least 6 hours of sunlight per day , but some species such as the foxtail character can thrive in partial or full shade .
Q. How fast does agave grow?
As has been prove by how long they take to blossom , agave mature easy . As they maturate , they also can spread as they bring forth pups .
Q. Is agave the same as aloe vera?
No . Although the 100 plant life ( Agave americana ) sometimes is called American aloe , it is an completely dissimilar works than Aloe vera .
Q. Why is my agave plant dying?
Agave plant are most probable to fail fromoverwatering , which rots their diadem or root . If an agave bloomed lately , that signaled the end of its living and it ’s clock time to transfer a whelp or purchase a raw plant .
Looking for more depressed - care plants ? retard out our guides on growingcitronella , lantana , andmarigold .
This Is the Year for a Kitchen Renovation
Photo: istockphoto.com
Whether you ’re deal or staying , everyone can get something out of a kitchen update . Learn why we believe this refurbishment the Most Valuable Project of 2025 and how to stay on budget .
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
