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Agave deserti

desert agave

Asparagaceae Southwestern North America

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Hummingbirds Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterVery Low · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 8–11

Overview

Agave deserti is a clump-forming succulent that grows as a stemless rosette 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) tall and 24-36 inches (60-90 cm) wide, spreading by underground offsets into colonies over time. The thick, rigid leaves are gray-green to blue-gray, 8-16 inches (20-40 cm) long, lined with hooked marginal teeth and tipped with a sharp terminal spine. After roughly 10 to 30 years the rosette sends up a single flowering stalk 8-20 feet (2.4-6 m) tall bearing branched clusters of yellow tubular flowers in late spring to early summer. The plant is monocarpic: each rosette flowers once and then dies, though the surrounding offsets carry the colony on. It is native to the deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, growing on rocky slopes, gravelly flats, and washes. It needs sharp drainage and intense sun, and it rots in wet or shaded conditions. The leaf spines are sharp and the sap can irritate skin, which affects where it is positioned.

Native Range

Agave deserti is native to the deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, including southern California, Arizona, and Baja California. It grows on rocky slopes, gravelly bajadas, desert flats, and dry washes.

Suggested Uses

Used in desert and xeriscape gardens, rock gardens, and large containers as a structural succulent. It suits hot, dry slopes and gravel plantings where little else grows. Spaced 3-4 feet (0.9-1.2 m) apart to allow for offset spread and the leaf spines.

How to Identify

The gray-green to blue-gray rosette of thick, rigid leaves with hooked marginal teeth and a sharp terminal spine identifies Agave deserti. Rosettes are modest in size, usually under 24 inches (60 cm) tall, and spread by offsets into clumps. A tall, branched flowering stalk to 20 feet (6 m) rises from mature rosettes. Yellow tubular flowers cluster near the top of the stalk.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1' - 2'

Width/Spread2' - 3'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~4 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowering occurs once in a rosette lifetime, in late spring to early summer, after about 10 to 30 years of growth. A single tall stalk carries branched clusters of yellow flowers over several weeks. The rosette dies after flowering while its offsets continue.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

gray-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 8-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.5 - 8.0(Alkaline)

357912

Soil Types

sand rocky loam

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Very Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

10-30 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow in full sun in gritty, sharply drained sandy or rocky soil. This succulent is adapted to desert heat and drought and needs only occasional deep watering in extended dry spells. Wet, poorly drained, or shaded sites cause crown and root rot. No fertilizer is needed, and lean soil suits it. It is hardy in USDA zones 8-11 and is damaged by hard, prolonged freezes. The leaf spines are sharp and the sap can irritate skin, which affects where it is positioned.

Pruning

Pruning is limited to removing dried lower leaves and the spent flowering stalk after a rosette dies. The dead stalk can be cut at the base once it browns. Offsets can be separated to control the spread of the clump.